Tuxedo No. 2 recipe
An herbaceous, sophisticated pre-Prohibition classic marrying dry gin, French vermouth, and a subtle absinthe wash.
Method: Stir ·
Glass: Coupe glass ·
Time: 5 min ·
Difficulty: Advanced ·
Family: The Martini Family
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz London dry gin (or Old Tom gin for a richer profile)
- 1 1/2 oz Dry vermouth (preferably chilled French dry vermouth)
- 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur (such as Luxardo)
- 2 dashes Orange bitters (Regans' or Angostura orange)
- 1 dash Absinthe (used as a glass rinse or stirred into the mix)
How to make a Tuxedo No. 2
- Coat the interior of a chilled coupe or cocktail glass with an absinthe rinse, discarding any excess liquid.
- Combine the London dry gin, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters in a mixing glass filled with cracked ice.
- Stir briskly for approximately 30 seconds until the mixture is thoroughly chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain the contents into the prepared, absinthe-rinsed glass.
- Express the oils from a fresh lemon peel over the surface of the drink and use the twist as garnish.
Garnish
Fresh citrus peel, if desired
Pro tip
Measure carefully, keep the dilution controlled, and serve Tuxedo No. 2 as soon as it is cold and balanced.
History of the Tuxedo No. 2
While the earliest recorded Tuxedo recipe appeared around 1880 in early bar manuals and was famously associated with New York's exclusive Tuxedo Club, the recipe evolved through numerous numbered iterations across bartender guides in the early 1900s. The No. 2 variation, substituting dry sherry with dry vermouth and incorporating maraschino and absinthe, was cemented in Harry Craddock's 1930 'The Savoy Cocktail Book', becoming a timeless blueprint for botanical elegance.
Flavour profile
Boozy, Herbal, Bitter
Variations
- Tuxedo No. 1 — Substituting dry sherry in place of dry vermouth for a nutty, oxidized historical profile.
- Tuxedo Moderno — Replacing London dry gin with Japanese gin and substituting dry vermouth with gentian aperitif.
- Midnight Tuxedo — Incorporating barrel-aged gin and adding a barspoon of mezcal alongside the absinthe rinse for subtle smoke.
Practise making the Tuxedo No. 2 in the free Virtual Bar game.