Tuxedo No. 2 Cocktail Recipe

The Tuxedo cocktail is a turn-of-the-century Martini variation that has developed into a number of distinct kinds over the a long time. Amongst them, the Tuxedo No. 2 has emerged because the definitive expression. Sometimes made with gin, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, a splash of absinthe, and orange bitters, it first appeared in print within the 1900 version of Harry Johnson’s Bartenders’ Guide. That early recipe referred to as for Previous Tom gin, the softer, barely sweeter Nineteenth-century fashion that bridges the hole between malty genever and fashionable London dry.

The drink takes its title from the Tuxedo Membership, a personal nation membership in Tuxedo Park, an unique Hudson Valley enclave about 50 miles north of New York Metropolis. In 1930, Harry Craddock included the No. 2 model in The Savoy Cocktail Ebook, serving to cement its place within the canon. Lush and fragrant, the riff finally eclipsed the unique in reputation.

Why the Tuxedo No. 2 cocktail works

The Tuxedo No. 2 delivers a layered, herbaceous tackle the Martini, with simply sufficient sweetness to spherical its edges. Previous Tom gin gives a wealthy, full-bodied spine with a faintly malty, genever-like character. Dry vermouth provides crisp, citrus-leaning aromatics that preserve the drink brilliant and structured.

A small measure of maraschino liqueur contributes delicate marzipan nuttiness and earthy cherry sweetness, enhancing slightly than overpowering the gin’s botanicals. Absinthe — whether or not added as a splash or used to rinse the glass — introduces a fragile thread of anise and fennel. Orange bitters tie all of it collectively, lending citrus zest and delicate spice that harmonize the drink’s many fragrant parts.