The Unforgettables IBA
Remember the Maine
Manhattan, Cuban accent
A Manhattan riff with a dramatic streak — cherry liqueur adds depth while absinthe haunts the edges with licorice mystery. Named for the rallying cry of the Spanish-American War.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Rye Whiskey
- 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1/2 oz Cherry Heering
- 1 barspoon Absinthe
Method
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Documented in Charles H. Baker Jr.'s 1939 *The Gentleman's Companion*, where Baker describes discovering it in Havana during the 1933 Cuban Revolution. The name invokes the 1898 USS Maine incident. Per Difford's Guide #1668. Notes: Baker called it a variation on the Sazerac; the cocktail carries geopolitical resonance from two Cuban historical crises.
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