Tuxedo

A formal, aromatic stirred gin cocktail built on dry sherry and maraschino, with a whisper of absinthe giving it mysterious depth.

Tuxedo cocktail made with gin, served in a coupe
Base
gin
Glassware
Coupe
Flavor Profile
strongherbal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz gin
  • 1.5 oz dry sherry (fino or manzanilla)
  • 0.25 oz maraschino liqueur
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
  • 1 dash absinthe
  • Lemon twist, to garnish

Instructions

  1. 1Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe and discard the excess.
  2. 2Combine gin, sherry, maraschino, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
  3. 3Stir until well chilled, strain into the coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Origin & Story

United States, 1890s

The Tuxedo first appeared in Harry Johnson's 1882 bartending guide and took its current form in the 1890s at the Tuxedo Club in Orange County, New York — the same club that gave the tuxedo dinner jacket its name. It belongs to the martini family but is richer and more complex, with dry sherry replacing vermouth and maraschino adding a subtle almond-like sweetness.