A Luxardo Dream Trip: Italy Itinerary
Cherry orchards to oyster cocktails... this is everything I learned (and drank) on the Casa Luxardo Experience (still pinching myself!)
This trip rewired how I think about Italian liqueurs. I knew Luxardo from the cherries (obviously), and I knew Maraschino was a “real” ingredient and not just syrup in a jar, but I had no idea how deep this rabbit hole went until I spent four magical days living in it. I’m talking orchards, archives, a 200-year-old family story, and more incredible cocktails than I could count. It was one of the most special trips I’ve ever been on, and I’m still so grateful to have been included!
Before I get into the day-by-day itinerary (which you’re going to want to try to recreate to the best of your ability), I want to give you a little bit of the story behind the brand. Once you know a little more about Luxardo, every sip starts to hit a little differently…
Get To Know Luxardo
Luxardo’s story starts all the way in 1817. Girolamo Luxardo moved to Zara (which is present-day Zadar, Croatia… not to be confused with the clothing store) as the Consular Representative of the Kingdom of Sardinia. His wife, Maria Canevari, became completely fascinated with a Zara’s signature cherry liqueur called Rosolio Maraschino, which local monasteries had been perfecting for ages since medieval times. Maria, being the cool lady she was, started making her own version at home. It became so well-loved that Girolamo officially founded the Luxardo distillery in 1821 to start producing it commercially. Eventually, it became an essential cocktail ingredient that spread internationally with the Austrian Emperor himself even recognizing the Maraschino, granting the company the title “Privilegiata Fabbrica Maraschino Excelsior” the highest honor for quality, which it still holds today. Not a bad way to kick things off, right?
The part of the story that really got me will probably get you, too. The original distillery in Zara was destroyed during World War II, and much of the Luxardo family was killed. It could have been the end of everything, but Giorgio Luxardo survived, and in 1947, he rebuilt the company from scratch in Torreglia, Italy. He replanted Marasca cherry orchards from a single cherry sapling he saved from the bombings and restarted production using the original family recipes that were secretly smuggled out in a book before the invasion.
Today, the company is still 100% family-owned, now run by the sixth (and seventh) generation Luxardos who have over 30,000 trees in their orchards and use the same recipes that have been passed down for over 200 years!. Learning the back story, seeing the orchards, and just being with the Luxardo team was so inspiring. I’m so excited to share more of this with all of you!
What Makes Maraschino, Maraschino
The whole thing starts with the Marasca cherry. It’s a small, sour cherry native to the Dalmatian Coast along the Adriatic Sea (sorry, no dalmatian dogs involved). Unlike the cherries you’re probably most familiar with, Marasca cherries bring higher acidity, a really concentrated flavor, and pits that add almond-like flavor notes. Luxardo uses the cherries, pits, leaves, and stems… all of it to build the final flavor.
What surprises most people is that Maraschino Originale is clear (not red) and it tastes floral, nutty, and nuanced (not like cherry syrup). If you’ve only ever had the cherries, you’re missing half the story!
If you’ve heard of Luxardo before, it’s likely thanks to one of these:
Bitter Bianco (my favorite!)
Okay, history lesson over. Onto the trip!
June 14 – Day 1: Italian Amaro & Digestives
We landed at Venice Marco Polo Airport and were whisked straight to the villa, where the welcome cocktail was already waiting! We kicked things off with the 🍸 Vacanza 2.0 🍸 (Luxardo Aperitivo, fresh grapefruit, Luxardo Triplum Triple Sec, and a Fee Brothers foamer). Easily one of my top three cocktails of the entire trip, and we hadn’t even unpacked yet…
We had some time to settle in, relax, and explore the property before the real fun started. Most of us used this as our “content creation time” and were just in constant awe over how beautiful it was.
5:00 - 6:45 PM | Our First Class
In the evening, we had a “Create Your Own Amaro Masterclass.” When I say this was a dream trip already, I mean it. It was hosted by Gaia Luxardo, a sixth-generation Luxardo who is the Head of Production & Quality. She gave us a deep dive on the history of Italian digestives and how prevalent amaro is in Italian culture, and then took us through a hands-on blending workshop. We tasted herbs, roots, citrus peels, and spices, then blended our own signature amaro before we got to taste everyone’s creations.
My favorite botanical to play with was rhubarb, which didn’t surprise me (a spritz girl at heart). I also learned that a little chamomile and coffee infusion goes a long way, and that caramel is what gives a digestivo that deep, rich color. We competed for best-tasting amaro, and while I did not win (I believe I came in second, for the record), Chris (follow him here) took the title and won a Luxardo jersey. They even let us bottle our creations with our own names on the label to take home (won’t be opening that anytime soon, but when I do… oh baby!)!
8:00–10:00 PM | Dinner
As a pre-dinner aperitivo moment, we had the 🍸Simply Red🍸 (Luxardo Fernet, Luxardo cherry liqueur Sangue Morlacco, Luxardo Maraschino Originale, and pink grapefruit soda), and our nightcap was a 🍸Paper Plane🍸 (bourbon, Luxardo Amaro Abano, Luxardo Aperitivo, fresh lemon juice). Both so delicious. At this point, I was already losing my mind over all of the Luxardo possibilities. Dinner itself was a beautiful seated affair at the villa with even more subtle Luxardo pairings throughout. Again, I was losing my mind.
And I’d like to say for the record… Jet Lag…. it’s not real. So no, it wasn’t a problem coming from San Diego. No jet lag was had (it’s all in your head, wink wink)
10:00–10:45 PM | Post-Dinner Amaro Ritual
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We closed the night with the proper Italian way to end a meal: a pour of Luxardo 🍸Amaro Abano 🍸 over a few ice cubes with a mint leaf. Don’t forget to pour one out for the homies.
June 15 – Day 2: Italian Coffee & The Culinary Culture
11:00 AM–3:00 PM | Cooking Class & Lunch
I was grateful to have gotten some pretty great sleep last night, and then we kicked things off by sipping an 🍸Espresso Tonic🍸 (Luxardo Espresso and tonic water) before getting our hands dirty making fresh pasta and tiramisu using Luxardo Espresso Liqueur. Afterward, we got to 🍸“Spritz Our Own Way.”🍸 I combined Luxardo Limoncello, dry white wine, lemon juice, and a traditional Italian soda called Cedrata… delicious. They use dry white wine instead of prosecco so you can flavor it however you like, and as a bonus, if you don’t finish the bottle, your spritz won’t go flat after a couple of hours. Genius, honestly.
The rest of the midday included plenty of dreamy pool time, some R&R, and more content creation before the evening’s main event…
Afternoon & Evening | Bitter & White Bitter Oyster Experience
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This stretch had the best cocktails of the entire trip, hands down. We boarded a private boat at Barricata Port with a 🍸welcome cocktail🍸 featuring Luxardo Bitter Bianco, followed by the 🍸Camomilla🍸 (Luxardo Aperitivo, fresh grapefruit, Luxardo Triplum Triple Sec, Fee Brothers foamer, and fig leaf soda) as we sailed toward the oyster beds.
We cruised the Po Delta, visited traditional oyster beds, and stopped at a historic fishermen’s cavana for fresh oysters served over crushed ice with Luxardo cocktail pairings (!!!). My oyster count = 8. Pro tip: skip the mignonette and lemon, and add a splash of Luxardo Bitter Bianco to your oysters instead.
This is also where we had the recipe highlight of the trip, 🍸 the Negroni Bianco🍸, which we’ll absolutely be remaking as a team. Grab the ingredients and trust me on this one:
Negroni Bianco
25ml Luxardo Bitter Bianco
25ml Luxardo London Dry Gin
25ml Cocchi Americano (or a bianco/dry vermouth)
2 dashes Luxardo Chamomile Bitters
2 dashes Luxardo Rhubarb Bitters
Garnish: an oyster on top, duh!
9:00 PM | Poolside Dinner
We wrapped the night poolside at the villa with seasonal local dishes, the tiramisu from earlier (to die for), and a coffee and liqueur service to close things out. Our nightcap was a 🍸Decaf Espresso Martini🍸, made with Luxardo Decaffeinated Espresso, vodka, espresso, and Luxardo Orange Bitters. I’m telling you, guys… I was in heaven. Fun fact: the Decaf is the first decaffeinated espresso liqueur out there and just launched in June!June 16 – Day 3: Padova Experience, Maraschino Heritage & Aperitivo Culture
9:00 AM-2:00 PM | Luxardo Museum & Cherry Harvesting
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We started our day with a private transfer to the Luxardo Museum. We got a private tour of the museum, the archives, and the production facility, and were able to watch Maraschino Originale actually being made. I’m sorry, but it was giving Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory in the best way, and I, in fact, loved it as if it were a chocolate factory. My chocolate factory dream = Amaro factory, aka I was in heaven. From there, we got to pick cherries ourselves in the beautiful Luxardo orchards. It was a full-circle moment after learning the family’s whole story! We ended the visit with a picnic amongst the cherry trees and had so much fun piecing together this Wes Anderson-inspired video.
We headed back to the villa for the remainder of the afternoon and enjoyed some more well-earned relaxation.
5:15 PM-10:30 PM | Evening in Padova & Dinner at Ex Foro
We took a walking tour through Padua with the Luxardo family themselves. They really are so lovely, it felt like family. We stopped at Piazza delle Erbe for an Italian aperitivo experience. Dinner that night was at Ex Foro Restaurant, complete with more Luxardo cocktails, a terrace aperitivo, and a formal seated dinner. The dress code was formal, so we came in our best attire, and it was so fun to see the group dressed up. I loved this night.
June 17 – Day 4: Luxardo & Venice
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10:30 AM-3:30 PM | Murano Exploring
We transferred from the villa to Venice at 8:45 AM, then took our own private boat over to Murano. It was magical! The first cocktail of the experience was the 🍸Fresco🍸 (Luxardo Maraschino Originale, fresh lemon juice, and tonic, cucumber), which we sipped on during the Murano glassblowing experience. It was so impressive to see what these artists can create. We visited the Glass Cathedral, tried hands-on glassmaking (much harder than it looks), and explored the island with a Luxardo aperitivo in hand. By 3:30 PM, we checked into our next stay at Palazzo Veneziano for some free time.
5:30 PM-10:00 PM | Gondola Ride Through Venice & Farewell Dinner
Were you even in Venice if you didn’t take a gondola ride? I don’t think so. We passed the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and Punta della Dogana. Afterward, we stopped by a Osteria al Squero (a bacaro aka venetian wine/cocktail bar on the canal where the gondolas are built and repaired) where they served us a delicious Luxardo aperitivo with traditional Venetian cicchetti, and the trip closed out with a farewell dinner overlooking the Canale della Giudecca. It was some of the most delicious seafood ever.
June 18 – Day 5: Goodbye Italy & Thank You, Luxardo!
We only had a little bit of time before heading to the airport, so a few of us took a nice morning stroll. We grabbed cappuccinos and some food from Pasticceria Tonolo. I also grabbed a sandwich for the plane on our walk back from Panini e Vini de Babbo, and I’m so glad I did. After being spoiled all week, I don’t think the airplane food would have scratched my hunger itch.
This trip completely changed how I think about Luxardo, and honestly, about amaro and digestivo culture in general. It’s one thing to order a cocktail with these liqueurs in it and a totally different thing to stand in the orchard where the cherries grow or sit in the building where the original recipes live.
My one parting thought… don’t skip the after-dinner amaro ritual and please, please let’s have more aperitivo moments with the people we love. Thank you again to my new family at Luxardo! I’ll be dreaming of this trip forever. Salute!
If you’d like to visit Luxardo or just learn more about their history, click here. To discover their products, recipes or find at a store//bar near you visit click here!