On paper, the Previous Etonian doesn’t precisely seem to be a Martini. The unique 1930 recipe for it in The Savoy Cocktail Ebook options equal components dry gin and Kina Lillet with a contact of nutty crème de noyaux and orange bitters—removed from the drier Martinis that reign right now. However for Leishla Maldonado, beverage director at Loma, that makes the cocktail a gateway. “A Martini can really feel abrasive when you’re not accustomed to consuming issues which are tremendous spirit-forward,” she says. “Whereas [the Old Etonian] appears like a Martini, there’s no alienation.”
At Loma, which can be considered one of Punch’s Finest New Bars of 2025, there are 11 unique cocktails in addition to a rotating, curated listing of featured spirits, every paired with a traditional cocktail to showcase what it may possibly do in a drink. Maldonado had been in search of a recipe to characteristic Le Gin, from Calvados producer Christian Drouin, which makes use of an unaged apple brandy as the bottom and, relatively than lean closely on juniper, the botanicals—rose, ginger, almond, citron and cinnamon amongst them—supply what she calls a “softer” gin. The Previous Etonian was an ideal match.
When trying on the unique recipe, it’s necessary to notice the Kina Lillet. The liqueur was discontinued many years in the past and had a lot increased quinine content material than fashionable Lillet Blanc, which might have made it much more bitter in taste. However Maldonado doesn’t attempt to precisely replicate the bitterness of the unique. “Lillet gave it a gentler citrus,” she says, “and it allowed the whole lot else to shine.”
Maldonado had solely simply ordered a bottle of the Tempus Fugit crème de noyaux when she got here throughout the Previous Etonian recipe. It dropped at thoughts the one traditional she might consider that employed the nutty, red-hued liqueur: the Pink Squirrel, whose Grasshopper-like vibe couldn’t be farther from the Previous Etonian’s. Pairing a contact of crème de noyaux with the Christian Drouin gin, which has almond notes, offers the drink a “heat” that tastes like marzipan, she says.
The unique recipe requires orange bitters and an orange peel, however Maldonado opts for a lemon twist. “The orange bitters allowed these bitter almond, apricot and ginger flavors within the cocktail,” she says. “However the lemon twist was wanted so as to give it a pleasant raise.”
The entire workforce at Loma observed the Previous Etonian’s energy to present their visitors confidence within the typically overwhelming world of cocktails. Yefri Cortave, who works on the ground on the bar, likes to suppose that the Previous Etonian can reveal a myriad of private preferences to those that see its charms—when you just like the drink, you’ve realized you want stirred cocktails, Martinis, gin and possibly Calvados, too. Yefri’s brother Osman (who can be Maldonado’s accomplice) echoes Maldonado’s sentiment about providing Martini skeptics one thing gentler as a stepping stone into spirit-forward drinks. “A dry Martini doesn’t should be your factor,” he tells prospects. “We’re gonna discover one thing that’s just a little extra of your factor.” Possibly an Previous Etonian might be excellent.
