A spirit-forward cousin of the Martini, the Tuxedo dresses equal parts Old Tom gin and dry vermouth with a whisper of maraschino, a perfumed lick of absinthe and the bright, zesty bite of orange bitters. Stirred cold and served up with a cherry and a snap of lemon, it drinks dry, aromatic and quietly old-fashioned, the gin's soft sweetness rounding out the vermouth's crisp herbal snap.
Garnish: Maraschino Cherry, Lemon Peel
Stirred · Coupe · Up
add
Add the Old Tom gin, dry vermouth, maraschino, absinthe, and orange bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice.
stir
Stir well until thoroughly chilled and diluted.
strain
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
express
Express the lemon twist over the surface.
garnish
Garnish with a maraschino cherry and the lemon twist.
The drink borrows its name from the swank Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York, where it was first stirred in the late nineteenth century, though no individual bartender is on record as its inventor. Its recipe reached print through several competing hands — Harry Johnson's Bartender's Manual around 1900, Hugo Ensslin in 1916, and Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, which offered two builds, a No. 1 and a No. 2 — and it kept shifting shape along the way. Today the IBA keeps it among its Unforgettables, settled on Old Tom gin and dry vermouth in equal measure.