The Casino is the Aviation's drier, citrus-forward cousin. Gin, lemon, maraschino, and orange bitters, shaken hard and served up with a flamed orange coin. We make ours with Naught Australian Dry Gin, juniper-forward enough to sharpen the citrus and let the maraschino sit lightly behind it. A 1917 New York classic that drinks like it never went out of fashion.
INGREDIENTS:
- 50ml Australian Dry Gin
- 25ml Lemon Juice
- 10ml Maraschino Liqueur
- 10ml Semi-Rich Sugar Syrup
- 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
GARNISH:
- Flamed Orange Coin
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
To finish, hold a lit match over the surface, express the oils from an orange coin through the flame onto the drink, then drop the coin in.
The Casino: a quick history
The Casino first appeared in print in Hugo Ensslin's Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1917, the same New York book that introduced the Aviation. The two cocktails are close cousins. The Casino drops the crème de violette, adds orange bitters, and uses a heavier lemon pour, which shifts the drink from the Aviation's floral, sky-blue character into something drier, brighter, and more citrus-led.
It quietly fell out of fashion for most of the 20th century and was rediscovered during the early 2000s craft cocktail revival, when bartenders began working through Ensslin's book in search of overlooked classics. The Casino is one of the great rewards of that revival, a Prohibition-era gin sour that still drinks beautifully today.
You'll also love
- Aviation, the floral, sky-blue sibling with crème de violette
- Martinez, another maraschino-led gin classic from the same era
- Bees Knees, the Prohibition gin sour with honey instead of maraschino
Frequently asked questions
What is a Casino cocktail?
The Casino is a 1917 New York gin sour made with gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, sugar, and orange bitters. It was first published in Hugo Ensslin's Recipes for Mixed Drinks and is closely related to the Aviation.
What is the difference between a Casino and an Aviation?
The two cocktails share the same maraschino-and-citrus backbone. The Aviation adds crème de violette for floral character and a sky-blue colour. The Casino drops the violette, adds orange bitters, and pours a touch more lemon, making it drier, brighter, and more citrus-forward.
What is maraschino liqueur?
Maraschino is a clear Italian liqueur made from Marasca cherries, including the stones, which gives it a distinct almond-and-cherry character. It is much drier and more complex than a sweet cherry syrup. Luxardo is the most common brand and the standard for both the Casino and the Aviation.
Why flame the orange coin?
Flaming the orange coin caramelises the oils in the peel as you express them, which gives the cocktail a deeper, slightly toasted citrus aroma rather than a fresh-peel scent. It is the same technique used on a flamed orange Old Fashioned.
