Casino
Gin, maraschino, old-world poise.
Old Tom gin, maraschino, lemon and orange bitters: an early twentieth-century classic, dry and aromatic. Think of an Aviation without the violet, with maraschino lending almond and cherry notes.
- IBA · The Unforgettables
- Aperitif
- Shaken
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Method
- Shaken
- Strength
- Strong
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- Cubes
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Old Tom gin
40 ml
-
Maraschino liqueur
10 ml
-
Lemon juice
10 ml
-
Orange bitters
2 dashes
Garnish
- Lemon twist
- Maraschino cherry
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a rocks glass.
- Pour the Old Tom gin into the shaker.
- Add the maraschino liqueur.
- Add the lemon juice.
- Add the orange bitters.
- Fill the shaker with ice.
- Shake well.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Strain into the glass over ice.
- Garnish with a lemon zest and a maraschino cherry.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Casino has no known creator. For years its first appearance was placed in 1916, in Recipes for Mixed Drinks by New York bartender Hugo R. Ensslin, but in 2014 an older source surfaced: The Reminder, the small pocket guide for bartenders published by Jacob A. Didier in 1909. There the recipe calls for a measure of Old Tom gin, a few dashes of maraschino, orange bitters and lemon juice, stirred with ice, strained and served with a cherry. Ensslin's version is almost identical, suggesting he borrowed it. The drink later appears in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book and belongs to the same family as the Aviation.
Taste profile
- Strong
- 4 out of 5
- Citrus
- 3 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Dry
- 2 out of 5
