United States

Casino

The Casino is a dry, aromatic gin cocktail that leans heavily on orange bitters and maraschino for its personality.

bitterdryginmaraschinoorange-bittersaromaticspirit-forwardpre-prohibitionapertifbotanical

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is sharp and botanical from the gin, quickly met by the nutty, stone-fruit sweetness of maraschino. The middle is dry and floral, and the finish is long and bitter, with the orange bitters and lemon oil lingering on the palate.

Who will like it

This is for drinkers who like bone-dry, spirit-forward martinis but want more aromatic depth and a bitter edge.

When to drink

Serve this before dinner to wake up the palate, as the dryness and bitterness make it a classic aperitif.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go easy on the maraschino if you don't like even a hint of sweetness, or add an extra dash of orange bitters if you want it completely dry.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $3–$5Glass: CoupeBatch-friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a dry, stiff drink that wears its bitterness on its sleeve. The gin hits first with sharp botanicals, followed by a strange but appealing mix of almond-like sweetness from the maraschino and sharp citrus from the bitters. It is not a crowd-pleaser, but it keeps changing in your mouth as you sip it. The texture is light and crisp, with no juice or syrup to weigh it down.

Finish: The finish runs long and dry, with lingering orange and lemon bitterness that slowly fades into the gin's juniper.

Primary tastes

bitterherbalfloral

Secondary

fruityearthy

Aroma

juniperorange oilalmondlemon zest

Bitternessfirmly bitter
The double dose of bitters and the dry gin push the bitterness to the front of the palate.
Sweetnesslow sweetness
The maraschino adds a touch of sweetness, but it is quickly pulled back by the bitters and gin.
Sournessminimal acidity
There is no juice in this drink; the sourness is just a faint suggestion from the lemon bitters and peel.
Strengthvery spirit-forward
With 60ml of gin and only a small amount of liqueur, this drink hits with full alcohol presence.
Refreshingmoderately refreshing
It is cold and aromatic, but the heavy gin and lack of citrus juice keep it from being a thirst-quencher.
Complexityfairly complex
The gin's botanicals, the maraschino's nutty fruit, and the two different bitters create a layered, shifting taste.

Recipe

Make it at home

Stirred · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended for a crisp, botanical backbone

Before you start

Put your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand if you can. Grab a fresh lemon for the peel, and make sure your orange and lemon bitters are close by.

Ingredients

GinBase SpiritLondon Dry recommended for a crisp, botanical backbone60ml
Maraschino LiqueurLiqueurAdds a nutty, stone-fruit sweetness; a little goes a long way10ml
Orange BittersBittersProvides the dominant aromatic and bitter top note2 dashes
Lemon BittersBittersAdds a bright, sharp citrus bite to the finish2 dashes
Lemon PeelGarnishExpressed over the drink and dropped in1 twist

Garnish: Lemon twist

Tools

Mixing glass · Mixing
To combine and chill the ingredients with ice without making them cloudy
At home: A large pint glass or wide-mouth mason jar
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the gin and maraschino accurately
At home: A shot glass or measuring spoons
Bar spoon · Mixing
To stir the drink smoothly and evenly
At home: A long-handled spoon or chopstick
Hawthorne strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice while pouring the liquid into the glass
At home: A small wire mesh sieve
Coupe glass · Serving
To serve the drink chilled and stem-held so it stays cold
At home: A small wine glass or shallow bowl glass
Vegetable peeler · Garnish
To cut a wide, clean strip of lemon peel for the twist
At home: A sharp paring knife

Steps

1
Measure 60ml of gin and 10ml of maraschino liqueur, then pour both into your mixing glass. Add 2 dashes of orange bitters and 2 dashes of lemon bitters right on top.
!Pouring the maraschino with a heavy hand makes the drink cloying and throws off the dry balance.
2
Fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full with ice, using big cubes if you have them. The ice should sit above the liquid so everything chills evenly.
!Using small, fragmented ice melts too fast and waters down the drink before it gets cold.
3
Stir the mixture steadily with your bar spoon for about 20 to 30 seconds. You will know you are done when the outside of the mixing glass feels very cold to the touch and frost starts to form.
~25s
!Stirring too fast or aggressively chips the ice and clouds the drink.
4
Hold your Hawthorne strainer over the mouth of the mixing glass and pour the liquid into your chilled coupe glass. Let the ice sit in the mixing glass; you only want the strained liquid in the glass.
!Letting stray ice chips slip into the coupe dilutes the drink as you sip it.
5
Take your lemon peel and hold it over the drink, skin-side down. Squeeze it firmly so the citrus oils spray across the surface of the drink, then drop the peel in.
!Dropping the peel in without squeezing it first misses the aromatic oil that makes the drink pop.

Serve

Serve it right away in the chilled coupe while it is at its coldest. The drink should look clear with a faint yellow tint and a single lemon peel resting on top.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino LiqueurLuxardo Maraschino
Match
Specialty availability
Maraschino Liqueur → Luxardo Maraschino: This is the standard brand; other brands taste slightly sweeter or less nutty.
Maraschino LiqueurAmaretto
Match
Common availability
Maraschino Liqueur → Amaretto: Swaps the stone-fruit notes for a sweeter, richer almond flavor that changes the dry balance.

Swap options for Lemon Bitters

Lemon BittersAngostura Bitters
Match
Common availability
Lemon Bitters → Angostura Bitters: Replaces the bright lemon top note with a darker, spicier, clove-heavy bitterness.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Aviation

The Aviation uses lemon juice and crème de violette, making it a sour with a purple tint, while the Casino is a dry, stirred drink.

Match

Both drinks share the gin and maraschino core, but the Aviation is tart, fruity, and slightly floral, while the Casino is bitter, dry, and purely aromatic.

In common: gin-based, maraschino-driven, pre-prohibition era

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Casino

Orange Bitters, Lemon Bitters

Only in Aviation

Lemon Juice, Crème de Violette

The Casino swaps the Aviation's lemon juice and violet liqueur for orange and lemon bitters, turning a tart, fruity sour into a dry, aromatic martini-style drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

nutty stone-fruit sweetness from maraschino, botanical gin backbone

How Aviation differs

drier texture, sharper bitterness, no tart acidity, no floral finish

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Tuxedo No. 2

The Tuxedo No. 2 adds dry vermouth and absinthe, making it softer and more herbal.

Match

The Tuxedo No. 2 is a softer, more herbal drink thanks to the vermouth and absinthe, while the Casino is sharper, drier, and more focused on the bitters.

In common: gin-based, stirred, bitter-aromatic, pre-prohibition era

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Orange Bitters

Only in Casino

Lemon Bitters

Only in Tuxedo No. 2

Dry Vermouth, Absinthe

The Tuxedo No. 2 brings dry vermouth and absinthe into the mix, dropping the lemon bitters entirely, which softens the gin and adds an anise note.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bitter-orange top note, maraschino sweetness, stirred and spirit-forward

How Tuxedo No. 2 differs

softer mouthfeel, anise aroma, less sharp bitterness

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Casino first appeared in print in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks'. It is sometimes confused with a different, rum-based Casino cocktail that appeared later, but the original gin version is the one recognized by the IBA.

Era: 1910s
IBA: The Unforgettables
Data version: IBA current spec
Confidence

The IBA recipe is widely agreed upon, though some older sources list slightly different bitters ratios.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Use a light hand with the maraschino; it can easily overpower the drink.
A high-proof gin stands up better to the heavy bitters.
Chill your glass first so the drink stays cold to the last sip.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Do not shake this drink; it turns cloudy and waters down the sharpness.
Do not skip the lemon twist; the oil covers the alcohol burn.
Do not use cheap, sticky maraschino cherries as a substitute for the liqueur.