Cherry on top: sweet serve of nostalgia returns to the bar

They’re the nightclub of the culinary world – neon, frivolous, and a burst of fun with a centuries-long history. And they’re back as a staple of the nation’s inner-city bars.

Enmore Country Club’s venue manager, Claire Browne, uses a glistening cherry to top off a cocktail. Picture: John Feder

They’re the nightclub of the culinary world – neon, frivolous, and a burst of fun with a centuries-long history. And they’re back as a staple of the nation’s inner-city bars.

Maraschino cherries, born from the minds of monks soaking stone fruits in ocean water and liqueur, have lapsed in popularity over the decades, arguably for their divisive, medicinal taste.

A modern version found its place in the post-war comfort foods of the ’50s and the Manhattan glasses of the hyper-saturated ’80s.

And as fashion recycles yet another decade into the mainstream, so, too, has the hospitality world, bringing back the sickeningly sweet fixture in all its glistening glory.

The reason? “The fun of nostalgia,” says Daniel McBride, co-owner of Sydney’s latest retrofit out bar, Enmore Country Club.

“We always look back on things with rose-coloured glasses, or a warm lens,” the 32-year-old barkeep says of the crimson garnish.

Following the pandemic, a period in which the hospitality industry was pulverised by punishing blow after blow, were maraschino cherries the shining beacon of hope for bakers and bartenders alike? A stop sign for pedestrians to re-enter their venues and submerge themselves in the no-frills fun of a carefree decade?

“They’re just over the top and so ridiculously sweet,” McBride laughs.

Pouring their signature “hard cherry cola cooler”, McBride says the Country Club’s use of the garnish – and its mounting popularity overall – strikes a balance between bringing back much-beloved classics and infusing them with a contemporary taste.

“My favourite thing with cocktails is taking a tried concept and making it unique, and cherries are a way to add textures and elevate it. We’re taking things people love and putting our own stamp on it.”

Though often perceived as Frankenstein’s monster of the fruit world, for Sydney baker Javiera Cerda, 27, who specialises in retro cakes, the popularity of the cherries in the dessert space “has definitely exploded in the past six months”.

“When I started my business, vintage cakes and all the maraschino cherries that come with them were rare,” she shares.

“Now, there’s an extreme saturation in the market, everyone’s jumping on the trend and coming up with their own twist.”

Cerda, the owner of Javi Bakes, offers bespoke creations, piped with buttercream swirls, personal messages – and, upon request, a glitter-dipped variety of the preserved stone fruit.

“I think it was just a matter of time they came back into style,” she says. “They’re reminiscent of an older time, they’re very nostalgic, and people associate them with pure fun. I think we’ve been missing that for a while now.”

Whether you’re pained by the syrupy taste, or mesmerised by their blinding nature, it’s safe to say they’re the cherry on top.