🥃 Tuxedo
Tuxedo is a classic gin martini-style cocktail on the IBA list: equal parts Old Tom gin and dry vermouth, with maraschino, a touch of absinthe and orange bitters.
Tuxedo is a classic cocktail for anyone who likes a Dry Martini with more character: equal parts of gin and dry vermouth, plus maraschino, a drop of absinthe and orange bitters. The IBA recipe uses 30 ml of Old Tom gin, 30 ml of vermouth, half a bar spoon of maraschino, a quarter spoon of absinthe and three dashes of bitters.
Composition. Old Tom gin is a sweetened style, softer than dry gin. Dry vermouth adds herbal dryness, maraschino a light cherry sweetness, and absinthe a note of anise. Everything is stirred with ice and strained into a martini glass, garnished with a cherry and lemon zest.
Origin. The cocktail is named after the Tuxedo Club, a private club in New York State that opened in 1886; the club is also credited with the name of the men's dinner jacket. According to Difford's Guide, the earliest known recipe was printed in 1900 in Harry Johnson's "Bartenders' Manual". By 1930, when Harry Craddock's "The Savoy Cocktail Book" appeared, dry gin had replaced Old Tom, following the fashion for dry drinks.
Family. Tuxedo has several numbered versions: in the Savoy Cocktail Book Craddock labelled the version with absinthe as No. 2 and the lemon version as No. 1. There is also a variant with sherry, which, in the view of the author of Difford's Guide, should be called Tussetto. Modern recipes often replace Old Tom with dry gin.
Why this matters to you. Absinthe in this drink is just a drop, and the EU regulates the permitted thujone content in alcoholic drinks. The cocktail is still strong. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | Old Tom gin, dry vermouth, maraschino, absinthe, orange bitters (IBA recipe) |
|---|---|
| Year founded | first printed recipe in 1900 (Harry Johnson) |
| Legal basis | official IBA cocktail, The Unforgettables category |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Tuxedo → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Old Tom Gin, 🍷 Dry vermouth, 🥃 Maraschino, 🥃 Absinthe, 🥃 Cocktail bitters
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Gin
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Dry Martini, 🥃 Aviation, 🥃 Stinger, 🥃 Stinger, 🥃 Vieux Carré, 🥃 Vieux Carré, 🥃 White Lady, 🥃 White Lady, 🥃 Vesper, 🥃 Vesper
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Tuxedo cocktail?
The IBA recipe: 30 ml Old Tom gin, 30 ml dry vermouth, half a bar spoon of maraschino, a quarter spoon of absinthe and three dashes of orange bitters.
Why is it called Tuxedo?
After the Tuxedo Club in New York State, which opened in 1886; the first printed recipe dates from 1900.
Is a Tuxedo made with dry gin or Old Tom?
The IBA and Harry Johnson's original use Old Tom; dry gin appeared in recipes around 1930, and modern bars often use it.
What is the difference between a Tuxedo and a Dry Martini?
The extras: maraschino, absinthe and orange bitters give it a more complex, slightly anise and cherry character.
How much thujone is in the absinthe in a Tuxedo?
Only a drop is used; in the EU the limit is 35 mg/kg for wormwood drinks and 10 mg/kg for most others.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 Vieux Carré — Vieux Carré is a New Orleans cocktail of rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine and Peychaud's bitters, created in 1938; a classic for fans of the Manhattan and Sazerac.
- 🥃 Cocktail bitters — Highly concentrated bitter tinctures of herbs, roots, spices and peel in strong spirit; they are added to cocktails by the dash, like a seasoning. Best known: Angostura and Peychaud's.
- 🥃 Wormwood — Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a perennial herb with a bitter taste, the basis of absinthe and Pelinkovac; in the EU thujone in drinks made from Artemisia species is limited to 35 mg/kg.
Similar
🥃 White Lady · 🥃 Martinez · 🥃 Casino · 🥃 Dry Martini · 🥃 Vesper · 🥃 Clover Club
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Tuxedo (The Unforgettables; 30 ml Old Tom gin, 30 ml dry vermouth, 1/2 bar spoon maraschino, 1/4 bar spoon absinthe, 3 dashes orange bitters; stir, strain into a chilled martini glass; cherry and lemon zest)
- Difford's Guide: Tuxedo Cocktail — original recipe and variations (named after the Tuxedo Club, New York, opened 1886; first printed recipe in Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual, 1900; dry gin in The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930)
- Difford's Guide: Tuxedo Cocktail No.2 (Savoy and Duffy's recipe) — gin, dry vermouth, maraschino, absinthe, orange bitters
- Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008, Annex III, Part B: maximum thujone levels in beverages (10 mg/kg; 35 mg/kg for those produced from Artemisia species)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)