IBA
Remember the Maine – IBA
A bitter and dry whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 29.6% ABV ∙
Remember the Maine – IBA is a stirred cocktail of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and cherry liqueur, served up in a coupe rinsed with absinthe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour the Absinthe 7 ml into a coupe glass and swirl to completely coat the inside
- Discard the Absinthe and set the glass aside
- Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing glass: Rye whiskey 60 mlRosso vermouth 22 mlCherry liqueur 15 ml
- Fill it 3/4 full with ice
- Stir until chilled
- Strain into the glass rinsed with the Absinthe
- Garnish with a lemon twist
History
Remember the Maine is known through American travel writer Charles H. Baker Jr., who recorded encountering the drink in Havana, Cuba, during the Cuban Revolution of 1933. He published the recipe in his 1939 book The Gentleman's Companion, describing it as a cousin of the Sazerac and the Manhattan built around rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy, and an absinthe rinse.
The name references the 1898 sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, an event that American newspapers seized on to blame Spain and rally support for the Spanish-American War under the slogan "Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain." Although that incident predates the cocktail by more than three decades, Baker's account ties the drink's name to Cuba's earlier revolutionary history rather than to the 1933 uprising he witnessed. The cocktail was added to the IBA's official Unforgettables in the organization's 2024 update.
FAQ
What are the ingredients in a Remember the Maine?
60 ml rye whiskey, 22 ml sweet (rosso) vermouth, 15 ml cherry liqueur, and 7 ml absinthe. The absinthe is only a rinse: swirl it around the coupe and tip it out before the stirred drink goes in.
What whiskey should you use to make a Remember the Maine?
Rye, which is what this recipe calls for. It is spicier and drier than bourbon, so it stands up to the sweet vermouth and cherry liqueur. Bourbon works too, but it makes a softer, sweeter drink with less spice.
Why is Remember the Maine important?
It is on the IBA's official cocktail list, and its name recalls the 1898 sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor. Charles H. Baker Jr. published the recipe in The Gentleman's Companion in 1939.
