Casino
Casino is a popular carbonated soft drink with a tangy, fruity flavor that originated in Puerto Rico. Its bright red color and unique taste make it a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
Casino recipe
- 4 cl gin (Old Tom)
- 1 cl Maraschino
- 1 cl fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and a maraschino cherry. Serve without a straw.
Shaking the Casino properly
- Chill a cocktail glass first so the drink stays crisp and bright after straining. A few minutes in the freezer works well, or fill the glass with ice water while you prep.
- Add Old Tom gin, maraschino liqueur, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and two dashes of orange bitters to a shaker filled with solid ice cubes. Fresh lemon matters here; bottled juice makes the drink flatter and harsher.
- Shake hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. You want the mixture cold and lightly diluted, since this cocktail is served up and needs enough water to soften the maraschino and bitters.
- Empty the chilling ice or water from the glass, then fine strain the drink into the cold cocktail glass for a clean, polished texture.
- Express a lemon twist over the surface to release its oils, then place it in or on the rim. Add a maraschino cherry if you want the classic garnish and a slightly richer final aroma.
- Serve immediately, without a straw, so the citrus and cherry notes meet the nose first.
What the Casino tastes like
The Casino sits in a sharp, elegant middle ground between a Martini-style gin drink and an early sour. Old Tom gin gives it a softer, slightly sweeter base than a dry London gin would. Maraschino adds a dry cherry-almond perfume rather than candy-like sweetness, while lemon keeps the drink taut. The orange bitters tie the fruit and botanicals together.
Best way to serve it
This drink is at its best very cold and very fresh. Because it is served straight up, temperature matters more than in an on-the-rocks cocktail. A properly chilled glass and a confident shake make a noticeable difference. If using a sweeter cherry, keep the garnish minimal so it does not overpower the finish.
A little background on the Casino
The Casino is generally treated as a classic pre-Prohibition-era cocktail, though its exact origin is not firmly documented. It appears in early 20th-century cocktail writing and is often associated with the family of gin-and-maraschino drinks that includes the Aviation and Martinez-adjacent classics. Its staying power comes from how little it uses to create a very distinct profile.
Zero-proof idea: the Casino Fizzless
For a non-alcoholic version, use a juniper-forward NA spirit, a spoonful of cherry syrup from quality cocktail cherries, fresh lemon juice, and a couple dashes of non-alcoholic orange bitters if available. Shake with ice and strain up. It will be softer and fruitier than the original, but still bright, aromatic, and pleasantly bitter-edged.