Casino

Review:

This recipe is a broad interpretation of Jacob A. Didier's 1909 original and the Casino recipes that follow in Hugo R. Ensslin's 1916 book and other subsequent tomes. Although, as Didier merely specifies "dashes" of lemon juice, his recipe may not be so far removed from mine.

Variant:

Aviation
Blue Moon

History:

Until March 2014, when Henry Duke, a fellow discerning Drinker, made me aware that the Casino first appeared in Jacob A. Didier's 1909 book The Reminder: Up-To-Date Bartender' Vest Pocket Guide [thanks, Henry], I and most others credited Hugo R. Ensslin for debuting the recipe in his 1916 Recipes For Mixed Drinks, written when he was head bartender at New York City's Hotel Wallick which stood at the corner of Broadway and 43rd Street. It would appear that Ensslin copied Didier as the recipes in both books are almost identical.

CASINO COCKTAIL.
Use a mixing glass.
2 dashes of Maraschino.
2 dashes of orange bitters.
2 dashes of lemon juice.
1 drink of Tom gin.
½ glass of cracked ice.
Sir, strain, and serve with cherry.

Jacob A. Didier, The Reminder, 1909

Casino Cocktail
2 dashes Maraschino
2 dashes Orange Bitters
2 dashes Lemon juice
1 drink of Old Tom
Stir well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve with a cherry.

Hugo R. Ensslin, 1916

If you are seeking a Casino more in keeping with Didler's/Ensslin's recipe, try 45 old tom gin, 5ml maraschino liqueur, 2.5ml lemon juice, and 2 dashes orange bitters, stirred with ice and strained into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

Ensslin's 1916 book is best known for being the first print reference to the Aviation cocktail and his Casino is essentially a stirred Aviation without crème de violette but a lot more lemon juice.

Harry Craddock repeats Ensslin's Casino Cocktail, almost verbatim, in his 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.

Then, in 1948, my hero, David Embury published his version of the Casino with orange juice in place of orange bitters. Tellingly, he instructs to "Follow directions for mixing the Aviation."

CASINO
1 part Maraschino
1 part Lemon juice
1 part Orange juice
8 parts Gin
Follow directions for mixing the Aviation.
Here again, it should be noted that at least one recipe book lists, under the name of "Casino" a quite different cocktail made with gin, whisky, Cointreau, slivovitz, and Italian vermouth. Horror of horrors!

David, Embury, 1948

Embury's recipe translates as 40ml gin, 5ml maraschino liqueur, 5ml lemon juice and 5ml orange juice.

Nutrition:

One serving of Casino contains 147 calories