Tuxedo

Also known as Tuxedo Cocktail, Tuxedo No. 2

A dry, aromatic martini-style drink that leans heavily into herbal and anise notes instead of citrus or fruit.

herbalanisedryspirit-forwardmaraschinoclassicginbitteraperitifstirred

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is dry and herbal, with a sharp gin backbone softened by the subtle sweetness of maraschino. Mid-palate, the anise from absinthe and the woodsy bitterness of bitters start to pull through. It finishes clean and slightly bitter, leaving a lingering herbal warmth.

Who will like it

For people who like bone-dry, spirit-forward drinks with an herbal, anise-heavy edge like a classic Martini or a Sazerac.

When to drink

Serve this right before dinner, as the dryness and herbal bite make it a solid appetite builder.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go heavy on the absinthe rinse if you want that black licorice flavor to really pop, or ask them to skip it if you hate anise.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $3–$5Glass: CoupeBatch-friendlyMake ahead

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is dry and stiff, built around gin and vermouth but pushed in an unusual direction by the absinthe and maraschino. It hits you first with the smell of licorice and citrus, then moves into a slightly nutty, herbal middle. There is no fruit or juice to soften it, so the alcohol and botanicals sit right up front. It is the kind of drink you take your time with, picking apart the flavors as they change in the glass.

Finish: The finish runs long and dry, with herbal bitterness and a faint anise warmth lingering after the sip.

Primary tastes

herbalbittersweet

Secondary

floralearthy

Aroma

anisejunipercitrus oilmaraschino almond

Bitternessmoderately bitter
The absinthe and bitters bring a clear, woody bitterness that sits on the tongue without taking over completely.
Sweetnessoff-dry
The maraschino adds a faint, nutty sweetness, but the dry vermouth and absinthe keep the drink from tasting sweet.
Strengthstrong
With a full 50ml pour of gin and very little dilution, this is a stiff, spirit-forward sipper.
Refreshinglow refreshment
This is a contemplative, heavy drink meant for slow sipping, not for quenching thirst.
Complexityfairly complex
The layering of anise, almond-like maraschino, dry vermouth, and gin botanicals shifts as you sip.

Recipe

Make it at home

Stirred · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended

Before you start

Put your coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before you start. Pull out fresh ice for mixing, and cut your lemon twist ahead of time so you are not fumbling with it later.

Ingredients

GinBase Spirit50ml
Dry VermouthVermouth25ml
Maraschino LiqueurLiqueur10ml
AbsintheLiqueurUsed as a rinse1 barspoon
Orange BittersBitters2 dashes

Garnish: Lemon twist, Maraschino cherry

Tools

Mixing glass · Mixing
To combine and chill the ingredients with ice without shaking them cloudy.
At home: A large pint glass or wide-mouth mason jar
Bar spoon · Mixing
To stir the drink smoothly and quickly without splashing.
At home: A long chopstick or iced tea spoon
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the gin, vermouth, and maraschino accurately.
At home: A shot glass or measuring spoons
Hawthorne strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice while pouring the chilled liquid into the glass.
At home: A fine mesh tea strainer
Coupe glass · Serving
To serve the drink up, keeping it cold without diluting it further.
At home: A small wine glass or Champagne saucer
Vegetable peeler · optional · Garnish
To cut a wide, clean strip of lemon peel for the twist.
At home: A small sharp knife

Steps

1
Take your chilled coupe glass and pour in 1 barspoon of absinthe. Tilt and roll the glass around so the absinthe coats the entire inside, then pour out the excess. You want just a thin film left behind to flavor the drink.
!Leaving too much absinthe in the glass will overpower the gin and make the drink taste like straight black licorice.
2
Add 50ml of gin, 25ml of dry vermouth, 10ml of maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes of orange bitters to your mixing glass. You can do this before or after the ice, but adding them first lets you see exactly how much is in there.
!Using too much maraschino will make the drink cloying and push it out of balance.
3
Fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full with ice, using big, solid cubes if you have them. The ice should sit well above the liquid so everything chills evenly.
!Using small, broken ice will melt too fast and water down the drink before it gets properly cold.
4
Stir steadily with your bar spoon for about 25 seconds, moving the ice smoothly around the glass. You will know you are done when the outside of the mixing glass feels very cold and frosty to the touch.
~25s
!Stirring too fast or aggressively chips the ice, which makes the drink watery instead of just cold.
5
Hold your Hawthorne strainer over the mixing glass and pour the drink through it into your absinthe-rinsed coupe. The liquid should look clear and slightly viscous, with no ice shards getting past the strainer.
!Letting small ice chips slip into the coupe will start diluting the drink immediately as they melt.
6
Take your lemon twist and hold it over the drink, skin-side down. Squeeze it firmly so the citrus oils spray across the surface of the cocktail, then drop the peel in. Drop a maraschino cherry right in the center.
!Squeezing the peel skin-side up sprays the oils away from the drink and onto the bar instead of into the cocktail.

Serve

Serve it right away in the chilled coupe while it is still frosty. The drink is meant to be sipped cold, so do not let it sit out and warm up.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

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

Swap options for Absinthe

AbsinthePastis
Match
Common availability
Absinthe → Pastis: Adds a similar anise flavor but is slightly sweeter and less herbal than absinthe.
AbsinthePernod
Match
Common availability
Absinthe → Pernod: Gives the anise note with a lighter body and a touch more sweetness.

Swap options for Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino LiqueurLuxardo Maraschino
Match
Specialty availability
Maraschino Liqueur → Luxardo Maraschino: This is the standard bottling, so using it keeps the flavor exactly as intended.

Similar cocktails

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

Similar cocktail

Martinez

The Martinez uses sweet vermouth instead of dry, making it richer and heavier.

Match

The Tuxedo is drier and more aromatic with its absinthe rinse, while the Martinez is richer and sweeter from the sweet vermouth.

In common: spirit-forward, stirred, served up, uses gin and maraschino

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Orange Bitters

Only in Tuxedo

Dry Vermouth, Absinthe

Only in Martinez

Sweet Vermouth

Swapping dry vermouth and absinthe for sweet vermouth completely changes the drink's weight and flavor direction.

Flavor

Shared flavors

herbal backbone, faint nutty sweetness from maraschino, spirit-forward structure

How Martinez differs

drier, sharper anise edge, lighter body

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Dry Martini

The Martini skips the maraschino and absinthe, making it much more focused on the gin itself.

Match

A Dry Martini is all about the interplay of gin and vermouth, while the Tuxedo layers in anise and nutty sweetness for a more complex sip.

In common: spirit-forward, stirred, served up, very dry

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Dry Vermouth

Only in Tuxedo

Maraschino Liqueur, Absinthe

The Tuxedo adds maraschino and an absinthe rinse on top of the standard Martini build.

Flavor

Shared flavors

dry gin backbone, crisp finish, light body

How Dry Martini differs

more herbal, noticeable anise, faint almond sweetness

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Sazerac

The Sazerac uses rye whiskey and sugar instead of gin, vermouth, and maraschino.

Match

The Sazerac is warmer and spicier from the rye, while the Tuxedo is lighter and more floral from the gin and vermouth.

In common: spirit-forward, stirred, absinthe rinse, served up

Ingredients

Both share

Absinthe

Only in Tuxedo

Gin, Dry Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur, Orange Bitters

Only in Sazerac

Rye Whiskey, Sugar, Peychaud's Bitters

Both drinks rely on an absinthe rinse for their signature flavor, but the base spirit and sweeteners are completely different.

Flavor

Shared flavors

anise aroma, dry finish, stiff structure

How Sazerac differs

gin botanicals instead of rye spice, lighter body, more floral

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Tuxedo first appeared in print in the 1880s, with early recipes showing up in Harry Johnson's and William Schmidt's cocktail manuals. Multiple variations existed by the early 1900s, some using orange juice or different bitters, making the exact original spec a matter of debate.

Era: 1880s
Confidence

The Tuxedo has multiple historical variations; this spec follows the most commonly served modern version with dry vermouth, maraschino, and an absinthe rinse.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

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

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Chill your coupe glass in the freezer for at least ten minutes before making the drink.
Roll the absinthe around the glass thoroughly to get an even, thin coat.
Stir with large, solid ice cubes to get the drink cold without watering it down.
Use a light hand with the maraschino, as too much will make the drink cloying.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Do not leave excess absinthe pooling in the glass or it will ruin the drink.
Do not shake this cocktail or it will go cloudy and lose its silky texture.
Do not skip the lemon twist, as the oils cut the heavy anise note.