I love this liquor; first tried it at a Spirits tasting and now it's a staple; our favorite combination is to add it to the Cristalino Brut Cava we keep on hand by the case!
More info from the Leopold Brothers website:
Cherries are generally categorized as either sweet or tart. The former predominates and are what most maraschino cherries are derived from, while the more rare sour varietals are what are mainly used in cooking. For the Leopold Brothers cherry liqueur, they use the very finest Montmorency tart cherries from the Northern reaches of Michigan. These tart cherries are prized the world over, and yet no one else in the world produces a liqueur with these perfect little stone-fruits. They start by destoning the fruit using a special hand held masher, collecting all the rich juices, then adding eaux-de vie and a pinch of turbinado sugar to balance out the tart cherry flavor.
The liqueur is then moved to glass demijohns, where the flavors and spirit slowly blend together. Unlike other cherry liqueur which are often made with artificial flavors that take on the likeness of a maraschino cherry, Leopold Brothers cherry liqueur maintains a balance between slightly tart, and a twinge of sweetness that can only come from real Montmorency cherries. As a result, it is brilliant in many turn of the century cocktails like the Cherry Cricket, and is also a welcome addition to a hot stack of pancakes. Todd Leopold finds that just a ¼ ounce of the Michigan Cherry Liqueur is the perfect replacement of the customary lime in a Gin and Tonic. We include some of their favorite recipes for you to try:
Michigin and Tonic 1 1/2 oz. Leopold's Gin 3/4 oz. Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur First, pour the Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur into an ice-filled lo-ball glass. Then, add Leopold's Gin and top with tonic.
The Royal 1 1/4 oz. Leopold’s Small Batch Gin 3/4 oz. Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur Combine both spirits into a shaker with ice. Gently shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Michigan Cherry Cola 1 1/2 oz. Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur 4 oz. Cola First, pour Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur into an ice-filled lo-ball glass. Top with Cola
Chocolate Cherries 3/4 oz. Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur 3/4 oz. Chocolate Liqueur Combine both into a shaker with ice. Gently shake and strain into a shot glass.
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In the part of the world I come from, sour (tart) cherry liqueur is a drink that is artisan made in almost every home, most of the time using heirloom secret recipes. There is called Visinata. Well, I found Leopold Bros Tart Cherry Liqueur the closest any drink came to match the one I remember from my young years.