"The original 1930 recipe for it in The Savoy Cocktail Book features equal parts dry gin and Kina Lillet with a touch of nutty crème de noyaux and orange bitters-far from the drier Martinis that reign today. But for Leishla Maldonado, beverage director at Loma , that makes the cocktail a gateway. "A Martini can feel abrasive if you're not accustomed to drinking things that are super spirit-forward," she says."
"When looking at the original recipe, it's important to note the Kina Lillet. The liqueur was discontinued decades ago and had much higher quinine content than modern Lillet Blanc, which would have made it far more bitter in flavor. But Maldonado doesn't try to exactly replicate the bitterness of the original. "Lillet gave it a gentler citrus," she says, "and it allowed everything else to shine.""
On paper the Old Etonian differs from modern Martinis, originally combining equal parts dry gin and Kina Lillet with crème de noyaux and orange bitters. Leishla Maldonado views the cocktail as a gateway because its balance mitigates the abrasiveness of spirit-forward Martinis. Maldonado pairs Le Gin, a softer gin made from unaged Calvados with botanicals like rose, ginger, almond, citron and cinnamon, to emphasize gentler flavors. Kina Lillet's discontinued, more bitter quinine profile contrasts with modern Lillet Blanc, so Maldonado favors Lillet for gentler citrus that lets other ingredients shine. Loma features original cocktails and spirit-pairing classics to showcase ingredients.
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