1/4 teaspoon Luxardo Maraschino LiqueurĮven if you’re not a huge Gin lover normally, I think you’ll like Old Tom Gin.1/4 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice.I’m sure you could mix up a Casino with a London Dry or a Genever, but I don’t think it would be a fantastic as it is with Old Tom. But I think the use of Old Tom Gin is what makes this a spectacular drink. Never the less, the Casino Cocktail is a Gin forward cocktail if ever there was one. Maybe that had something to do with the drink? It does incorporate Italian Maraschino liqueur… hummm There was a wiki for an Italian casino which opened along Lake Lugano in 1917. Yet, Hugo did work in a NYC bar during the time of his publication so I’d suspect Atlantic City played a role in the drinks creation. Neither scenario matches to Ensslin’s 1917 recipe. Here in Nevada, gaming was re-legalized after a 20 year ban in 1931. However, it appears that the gaming wasn’t legalized on the Eastern shore until the 1970’s. The New Jersey resort town was documented in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, as having a thriving gambling scene circa 1919. Young’s Hotel and Boardwalk, Atlantic City. The town is older than many people realize, founded in the early 1900’s, but I have a suspicion that Atlantic City was most likely the inspiration. Living in the land of the Casino, I naturally thought of the Las Vegas Strip. I wracked my brain trying to figure out what the significance of the name “Casino” was. Seriously, I can’t say enough good things about it.

If you haven’t given Old Tom Gin a try yet, you need to. Not syrupy sweet rather, I suspect this Gin is naturally sweetened by the botanicals used in addition to the Juniper. As I’d often heard of the Old Tom style, this Gin is sweeter than a London Dry. Like our homemade compound Gin No.6, Hayman’s spirit offers strong botanical notes in addition to the traditional Juniper Berries. Notice the Old Tom Gin sign on the upper left. Seems Gin became popular with female drinkers and many Gin shops were run by women (aka witches during the time). The thing I found most interesting about this piece is that the women were the “druggists”. We were introduced to this 1829 illustration by Ged Cruickshank during a seminar at Tales of the Cocktail.

Atlantic city alcohol while gambling