Casino Cocktail Recipe
Old Tom gin sharpened with maraschino, lemon and orange bitters — bright, dry and a little almondy.
- Category: The Unforgettables
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 26%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Gin60 ml (2 oz)
- Maraschino liqueur10 ml (0.3 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice10 ml (0.3 oz)
- Orange bitters2 dash
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Garnish
Maraschino cherry
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads, it smells of lemon and lime peel and it hits hard.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Gin
- London dry gin: juniper up front, citrus and coriander behind it. Brand really does show here — Beefeater is sharp, Hendrick's floral, Tanqueray juniper-heavy.
- Maraschino liqueur
- A clear liqueur made from marasca cherries. It has nothing to do with the red jarred cocktail cherry — it smells of almond kernel and flowers, and it is dry, not sweet.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
- Orange bitters
- Orange-peel bitters. Where Angostura brings spiced weight, this brings citrus lift; in gin and tequila drinks the two are not interchangeable.
The Story
A Prohibition-era refinement of the Aviation family; the maraschino is what ties the lemon to the gin's botanicals.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Casino mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Casino?
- Roughly 26% ABV as served — a spirit-strength drink — sipped slowly, and it wants a glass of water beside it.
- Can a Casino be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Casino hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.