Preparation
- Pour absinthe into the chilled coupe, coat the inside, then discard the excess.
- Stir the rye, vermouth and cherry liqueur with plenty of ice in a mixing glass until cold.
- Strain into the prepared coupe without ice.
- Finish with a garnish: lemon zest.
What does it taste like?
Anise rises from the glass first. The absinthe remains only as a thin film on the coupe, but you'll smell it immediately regardless. On the palate, the rye whiskey leads — 60 ml of it — spicy and dry. The cherry liqueur layers dark, sweet fruit on top. Sweet vermouth binds the two together and adds herbal notes. No lemon juice is added. Rye and cherry liqueur meet vermouth; stirring adds a touch of dilution from the melting ice. That's why the cocktail tastes dense and warm. The lemon zest adds a fresh note at the finish. Toward the end, as the drink warms up, the sweetness comes through more strongly.
When does it work best?
A drink for late evening, and for people who already enjoy whiskey. It's strong, and stirring with ice dilutes it somewhat. Newcomers often find the anise unfamiliar, and some don't care for it at all. If you like bold, stirred whiskey cocktails, this one's for you. Sip it slowly from the small coupe. One serving is plenty for an evening.
What matters
Use the absinthe only as a rinse. Swirl it around the chilled glass and pour out the rest. The 7.5 ml isn't meant to go entirely into the finished cocktail, or the anise will overpower everything. Stirred, the drink stays clear; shaken, it would turn cloudy and foamy. Use large ice cubes and stir until the glass frosts on the outside.
Where the drink comes from
The cocktail appears in print in 1939, alongside a recollection of Havana in the 1930s. Its name comes from an old slogan referring to the USS Maine, which sank in 1898. That's a political and historical reference, nothing more. No confirmed invention date can be drawn from it. Similarly built recipes with whiskey, vermouth, cherry liqueur and absinthe existed as well. The drink belongs to a whole family of relatives.