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New York, United States

Tuxedo No. 2

Also known as Tuxedo II, Tuxedo Cocktail No. 2

A dry, aromatic martini-style cocktail that leans heavily into herbal and anise notes instead of plain gin botanicals.

aniseherbaldryspirit-forwardmartini-stylepre-prohibitionabsinthealmondbotanicalbitter

%

ABV

Difficulty

Tuxedo No. 2

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is dry and herbal, with a sharp anise bite from the absinthe that immediately wakes up your palate. The middle softens into a woody, slightly bitter blend of gin and vermouth. It finishes clean and lingering, leaving a faint, cool herbal trace on the back of your tongue.

Who will like it

For people who like bone-dry, spirit-forward drinks with heavy herbal and anise character, like a Chrysanthemum or a dry Martini with a rinse.

When to drink

Drink this before dinner when you want something sharp and appetite-stimulating, or late at night when you are not ready for bed but do not want anything sweet.

Ordering tip

Ask for it by name at a cocktail bar, and specify if you want the absinthe as a rinse or a direct dash, since the intensity changes drastically between the two.

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

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a dry, heavy-hitting drink that tastes like a martini walked through an herb garden. The absinthe dominates the first sip with a sharp anise and fennel bite, but the gin and vermouth back it up with woody, dry botanicals. A faint almond sweetness from the maraschino lurks in the background, just enough to keep the bitterness in check. It is not a beginner cocktail, but the layers keep revealing themselves if you take your time with it.

Finish: The finish runs long and dry, with herbal bitterness and a cool anise tingle lingering well after the sip.

Primary tastes

herbalbitterearthy

Secondary

floralnutty

Aroma

aniselemon oiljunipermaraschino almond
  • Bitternessnoticeably bitter

    The absinthe and dry vermouth bring a firm, woody bitterness that sits at the front of the drink.

  • Sweetnessvery dry

    The tiny amount of maraschino adds a hint of sweetness, but this drink is overwhelmingly dry.

  • Strengthvery strong

    With a full 60ml of gin plus absinthe and very little dilution, this hits hard and warms your chest.

  • Refreshinglow refreshment

    This is a sipping drink meant to be taken slowly, not a thirst-quencher.

  • Complexityhighly complex

    The gin, absinthe, maraschino, and vermouth all pull in different flavor directions, making every sip shift slightly.

Recipe

Make it at home

Stirred · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended so the botanicals do not fight the absinthe

Before you start

Put your coupe glass in the freezer for at least ten minutes before you start. Pull out fresh ice for the mixing glass, and cut your lemon twist before your hands get wet and cold.

Ingredients

  • GinBase Spirit60ml
  • Dry VermouthVermouth30ml
  • Maraschino LiqueurLiqueur7.5ml (½ barspoon)
  • AbsintheLiqueur7.5ml (½ barspoon)
  • Orange BittersBitters2 dashes
  • Lemon TwistGarnish1 twist

Garnish: Lemon twist

Tools

  • Mixing glass · Mixing

    To combine and chill the ingredients with ice without making them cloudy

    At home: A large pint glass

  • Jigger · Measuring

    To measure the gin, vermouth, maraschino, and absinthe accurately

    At home: A measuring shot glass

  • Bar spoon · Mixing

    To stir the drink smoothly and quickly without splashing

    At home: A long iced tea spoon

  • Hawthorne strainer · Straining

    To hold back the ice while pouring the liquid into the glass

    At home: A fine mesh kitchen sieve

  • Coupe glass · Serving

    To serve the drink chilled and stem-held so your hand does not warm it

    At home: A small wine glass

  • Vegetable peeler · Garnish

    To cut a wide, thin strip of lemon peel for the garnish

    At home: A small sharp knife

Ingredients and tools to make Tuxedo No. 2
Ingredients and tools

Steps

  1. 1

    Measure 60ml gin and 30ml dry vermouth into the mixing glass. Add 7.5ml maraschino liqueur and 7.5ml absinthe, then dash in two drops of orange bitters. The absinthe is strong, so measure it carefully rather than free-pouring.

    Step 1 — how to make Tuxedo No. 2

    !Over-pouring the absinthe will completely overpower the gin and make the drink taste like black licorice.

  2. 2

    Fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full with ice, using large cubes if you have them. The ice should sit above the liquid so everything chills evenly when you stir.

    Step 2 — how to make Tuxedo No. 2

    !Using small, fragmented ice melts too fast and waters down the drink before it gets cold enough.

  3. 3

    Stir steadily with a bar spoon for about twenty to thirty seconds, moving the ice smoothly around the glass. Stop when the outside of the mixing glass feels very cold to your bare hand and frost starts forming on the metal.

    ~25s

    Step 3 — how to make Tuxedo No. 2

    !Stirring too fast or crashing the spoon around chips the ice and makes the drink cloudy.

  4. 4

    Take your frozen coupe glass out of the freezer. Put the Hawthorne strainer over the top of the mixing glass and pour the liquid through the strainer into the coupe, letting it fill almost to the rim.

    Step 4 — how to make Tuxedo No. 2

    !Tilting the mixing glass too early or pressing the strainer too hard can let ice shards slip into the drink.

  5. 5

    Hold the lemon peel over the drink and give it a firm twist so the citrus oils spray across the surface. Drop the peel into the glass and serve immediately while it is still very cold.

    Step 5 — how to make Tuxedo No. 2

    !Twisting the peel over the glass but dropping it in without spraying the oils misses the bright aroma that cuts the absinthe.

Serve

Serve it right away in the frozen coupe while the surface is still shiny and cold. The drink should look clear and pale, with a single lemon twist floating on top.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

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

Swap options for Gin

  • GinVodka
    Match
    Common availability

    Gin → Vodka: Removes the botanical backbone, making the absinthe and vermouth the only flavors you taste.

Swap options for Absinthe

  • AbsinthePastis
    Match
    Specialty availability

    Absinthe → Pastis: Keeps the anise flavor but adds a sweeter, rounder profile that softens the drink's edge.

  • AbsintheAnisette
    Match
    Specialty availability

    Absinthe → Anisette: Much sweeter and lighter than absinthe, pushing the drink toward a dessert-like balance.

Swap options for Maraschino Liqueur

  • Maraschino LiqueurLuxardo Maraschino
    Match
    Specialty availability

    Maraschino Liqueur → Luxardo Maraschino: This is the standard brand, so using it changes nothing; it is the expected flavor.

Related

Similar cocktails

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

Martini

Similar cocktail

Martini

The Martini skips the absinthe and maraschino entirely, leaving a cleaner, more focused gin and vermouth taste.

Match

While both are dry and gin-driven, the Tuxedo No. 2 hits you with a wave of anise and herbal weight that a Martini never has.

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

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Dry Vermouth, Orange Bitters

Only in Tuxedo No. 2

Absinthe, Maraschino Liqueur

The Tuxedo No. 2 adds absinthe and maraschino to the basic Martini structure, turning a clean gin-vermouth drink into something heavier and more herbal.

Flavor

Shared flavors

dry backbone, strong gin presence, crisp finish

How Martini differs

sharper anise bite, faint almond sweetness, heavier mouthfeel

View recipe & details →

Corpse Reviver No. 2

Similar cocktail

Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 adds lemon juice and Cointreau, making it a sour instead of a dry stirred drink.

Match

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is brighter and more refreshing because of the citrus, while the Tuxedo No. 2 stays dry, heavy, and spirit-driven.

In common: absinthe forward, served up, complex

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Dry Vermouth, Absinthe, Orange Bitters

Only in Tuxedo No. 2

Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Corpse Reviver No. 2

Lemon Juice, Cointreau

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 uses the same absinthe-rinsed gin base but balances it with citrus and orange liqueur instead of maraschino.

Flavor

Shared flavors

anise aroma, herbal complexity, gin backbone

How Corpse Reviver No. 2 differs

tart citrus bite, lighter body, sweeter orange note

View recipe & details →

Improved Gin Cocktail

Similar cocktail

Improved Gin Cocktail

The Improved Gin Cocktail uses Old Tom gin and simple syrup instead of dry vermouth, making it richer and sweeter.

Match

The Improved Gin Cocktail feels softer and sweeter on the palate, while the Tuxedo No. 2 stays lean, dry, and sharp.

In common: absinthe dash, maraschino hint, old-school

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Absinthe, Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Tuxedo No. 2

Dry Vermouth

Only in Improved Gin Cocktail

Old Tom Gin, Simple Syrup

Both drinks share the gin-absinthe-maraschino trio, but the Improved swaps dry vermouth for sugar, pushing the profile toward sweet instead of dry.

Flavor

Shared flavors

anise bite, almond undertone, botanical depth

How Improved Gin Cocktail differs

noticeably sweeter, maltier gin base, rounder finish

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Tuxedo family of cocktails appeared in late 19th-century New York, named after the Tuxedo Club. The No. 2 variation appears in Harry Johnson's 1888 New and Improved Bartender's Manual, though multiple bartenders published their own Tuxedo recipes around the same time, making exact credit disputed.

Creator
Possibly Harry Johnson
Era
1880s
Data version
Harry Johnson's 1888 spec
Confidence

The exact proportions of maraschino and absinthe vary across historical sources; some use a rinse instead of a dash, which drastically changes the intensity.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

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

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

  • Keep your absinthe bottle in the fridge so it pours slowly and cleanly.
  • Use a light hand with the maraschino; too much turns the drink cloying.
  • Stir a little longer than you think to smooth out the absinthe bite.
  • A frozen glass makes a huge difference for this drink, so do not skip it.

Avoid

Common mistakes

  • Do not shake this drink or it will go cloudy and watery.
  • Never skip the lemon twist; the oils cut the heavy absinthe aroma.
  • Avoid cheap dry vermouth that has been open in the fridge for months.