Tuxedo

About the Tuxedo

A classic in structure if not in name, the Tuxedo pairs Timber Creek Florida Gin with Dolin dry vermouth, house orange bitters, and a small amount of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, rinsed with absinthe and finished with a cherry and a lemon twist in a chilled coupe. It is a stirred, martini adjacent cocktail with a distinctly aromatic finish. Dolin dry vermouth keeps the drink light and herbal rather than sweet, while the orange bitters add warmth and the maraschino contributes a delicate, slightly nutty cherry note that shows up mostly on the back end.

The absinthe rinse, coating the glass rather than mixed into the drink itself, provides a fleeting anise aroma on the first sip. Timber Creek’s Florida Gin, distilled grain-to-glass in Crestview, offers a clean, well structured botanical profile that keeps the drink from tipping into any one of its more assertive modifiers. To build the Tuxedo, stir the gin, dry vermouth, orange bitters, and maraschino liqueur with ice until well chilled.

Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, discard the excess, then strain the cocktail in and garnish with a cherry and an expressed lemon twist. Its clean, briny adjacent profile pairs naturally with oysters, olives, and smoked salmon, and it also works well alongside shrimp cocktail or caviar for a more indulgent spread. The absinthe rinse should be light: swirl a small amount around the chilled glass and tip out the excess rather than leaving a pool in the bottom, since too much absinthe will overpower the more delicate maraschino and vermouth notes underneath it.

A properly frozen coupe glass is worth the extra minute here, since the Tuxedo relies on being served very cold with minimal dilution; a glass that has not been chilled long enough will warm the drink faster than intended. As a strong, low dilution cocktail, the Tuxedo is meant to be sipped slowly; drink responsibly and pace yourself.

A classic in structure if not in name, the Tuxedo pairs Timber Creek Florida Gin with Dolin dry vermouth, house orange bitters, and a small amount of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, rinsed with absinthe and finished with a cherry and a lemon twist in a chilled coupe. It is a stirred, martini adjacent cocktail with a distinctly aromatic finish. Dolin dry vermouth keeps the drink light and herbal rather than sweet, while the orange bitters add warmth and the maraschino contributes a delicate, slightly nutty cherry note that shows up mostly on the back end.

The absinthe rinse, coating the glass rather than mixed into the drink itself, provides a fleeting anise aroma on the first sip. Timber Creek’s Florida Gin, distilled grain-to-glass in Crestview, offers a clean, well structured botanical profile that keeps the drink from tipping into any one of its more assertive modifiers. To build the Tuxedo, stir the gin, dry vermouth, orange bitters, and maraschino liqueur with ice until well chilled.

Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, discard the excess, then strain the cocktail in and garnish with a cherry and an expressed lemon twist. Its clean, briny adjacent profile pairs naturally with oysters, olives, and smoked salmon, and it also works well alongside shrimp cocktail or caviar for a more indulgent spread. The absinthe rinse should be light: swirl a small amount around the chilled glass and tip out the excess rather than leaving a pool in the bottom, since too much absinthe will overpower the more delicate maraschino and vermouth notes underneath it.

A properly frozen coupe glass is worth the extra minute here, since the Tuxedo relies on being served very cold with minimal dilution; a glass that has not been chilled long enough will warm the drink faster than intended. As a strong, low dilution cocktail, the Tuxedo is meant to be sipped slowly; drink responsibly and pace yourself.