Maraschino (marr-ə-SKEE-noh) is a clear, somewhat dry Venetian liqueur dating back to 1759 made from sour Marasca cherries found on the Dalmatian coast (which used to be a Venetian colony), almost exclusively in Croatia. Much like brandy, the liqueur is distilled from the sour fruit and the crushed cherry pits, the latter of which denotes a hint of bitter almond, but, unlike brandy, pure cane syrup is added after distillation, then it is aged and, finally, filtered.