The Royal pearl of the Maraska Inc. production crown is, without a doubt, Maraschino – the original and noble liqueur originating from Zadar. At the beginning of the 16th Century, the pharmacists of the Zadar´s Dominican monastery, devised their own recipe and produced their very first herbal liqueur naming it rosolj (lat. Ros solis). In subsequent liqueur production attempts the original recipe was gradually changed and perfected.
The stem and leaves from young and tender branches of the maraska tree were added into the distilling process in addition to the initial juicy maraska cherry fruits pulp. So the liqueur was given another name Maraschino, the aromatic drink of unusual harmony that was, for a long time, considered to be a medicinal potion.
In 1768, a young scientist, Francesco Drioli came to Zadar from Istria and founded a liqueur company. He introduced contemporary machinery to the production process bringing the distillation of sour cherry maraska to perfect purity and aroma. In 1803 Drioli factory was proclaimed the exclusive workshop, receiving the special coat of arms garnished by an imperial eagle and became the official liqueur supplier of reigning European courts of that era. From then on, Maraschino became a worldly known product present in all European courts.
Maraschino liqueur was being sold in special square shape bottles having a short bottle neck. These bottles were initially produced in a well known city of Murano near Venice, and later, after 1869 in the new glass factory in Zadar. The present company, Maraska Inc. uses these historical bottles as a model for the Maraschino bottles we use today in order to maintain its image and its distinctive visual identity. In a way, it is also certain homage to its predecessors since the original Maraschino and noble liqueurs culture was gradually being created in a continuous course through time.