I was wondering how the maraschino cherry came about. I don’t really like them; they look too fake. But they do spruce up a ginger ale quite admirably. Maraschinos were originally soaked in liqueur called Marasca, thus the name. Over time, almond oil was substituted in for the liqueur. Red and green food coloring was added too. The modern processing of these sundae toppers is detailed in this article about Johnson Fruit where they produce maraschinos in blue curaçao, orange citrus, and white piña colada flavors. I’m still sticking to fresh.