Tuxedo Cocktail Recipe – Tuxedo No.2

Tuxedo Cocktail Recipe – The Tuxedo No.2: This is a classic gin and sherry pairing. Absinthe adds complexity to a little known classic.

Tuxedo No.2


A Delicious Alternative to a Martini

Tuxedo No.2
Tuxedo No.2

The Tuxedo No.2 has a little more in common with the formal wear that shares its name than you might, at first, expect. They both get their name from the Tuxedo Club to start. The Tuxedo Club is in Tuxedo Park, as you might expect, a rather fancy community in upstate New York.

The Tuxedo is downright relaxed compared to the older tie and tails. The tuxedo cocktail is likewise a slightly more relaxed version of a martini.

Tuxedo Variations

There are several Tuxedo cocktail recipes. The Tuxedo No.2 is a Martini variation with a little extra panache. It exchanges the crisp simplicity of the Martini for the depth of Maraschino and the punch of absinthe. You can think of this as a Martini surrounded framed by maraschino and absinthe.

Tuxedo No. 2 Ingredients

There are many versions of the Tuxedo cocktail. The Tuxedo No.2 is a perfectly balanced Martini variation. It is more aromatic with the addition of maraschino and punched up with absinthe.

  • Plymouth Gin
  • Dry Vermouth
  • Maraschino
  • An Absinthe Rinse

Garnish: Lemon twist.

How to Make a Tuxedo No. 2 Cocktail

The Tuxedo No.2 is a stirred cocktail. Put everything in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Plymouth Gin

Plymouth Gin is a style of gin that developed around the time London dry gin was becoming popular. It is a unique style from Plymouth, England. They have been making it there since 1793. Plymouth Gin is water-white and crystal clear. It has a full-bodied texture and fruity aromas with a strong juniper berry flavor.

Dry Vermouth

Vermouth is a type or aromatized wine. That means it is wine flavored with wormwood, and other botanicals. Vermouth is usually fortified with spirits and sweetened. While there are several styles of vermouth and different levels of sweetness most recipes simply call for sweet vermouth or dry vermouth.

The recipe probably called for sweet vermouth at one time. At some point, either by choice or by typo, that sweet vermouth got switched for dry. It works.

A dry French vermouth like Dolin Blanc Vermouth is a good choice here. Dolin Blanc vermouth is a French vermouth from Chambéry. Chambéry vermouth is a light dry style with clean, fresh, floral aromas and flavors.

If you can’t find Dolin, Noilly Prat is a good alternative. Noilly Prat is also French vermouth, but it is from Marseilles. The Marseilles style is barrel aged, so it is slightly oxidative and lightly oaked.

Absinthe

Absinthe is an anise flavored spirit with a near mythical past. It has a reputation for driving men mad, it’s mostly wildly inaccurate, but the stories were good enough to get it banned in most places for nearly a century.

Anise flavors are divisive, and while not everyone loves the taste of absinthe a little can have a big impact. An absinthe rinse can be a subtle way to add a lot of complexity and lengthen flavors. For an absinthe rinse all you have to do is add a splash of absinthe to your glass, swirl it around and then dump it out.

Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino liqueur is an Italian liqueur. It is made from marasca sour cherries. It is an aromatic liqueur with a floral, cherry, almond and marzipan flavor. Unfortunately, people often confuse it with the artificially colored and flavored maraschino cherries that took the maraschino name.

Maraschino is some of the good stuff and worth having on hand for several classic cocktails including the Aviation, and Martinez.

If you are looking for something related the are many more recipes and great cocktails to choose from. Obviously a bone dry martini is an easy option. The other option is another classic Tuxedo recipe.

A Martinez is another of my favorite cocktails. If your tastes run to whiskey a Bourbon cocktail like one of the many variations on the Manhattan could work.

Tuxedo No.2

  • 1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
  • 1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 1/4 oz Maraschino iqueur
  • 1 dash absinthe
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
  1. Rinse a chilled coupe glass with absinthe.
  2. Pour everything into a mixing glass filled with ice.
  3. Stir for 10-15 seconds until chilled.
  4. Strain into prepared coupe glass.
  5. Garnish with a lemon twist.
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