Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Third Degree
Start makingAbsinthe is the whole idea here, and it is also the thing most people get wrong. A barspoon turns a wet Martini aromatic and faintly bitter. A free pour turns it into licorice with gin in it.
In the glassGin · Dry vermouth · Absinthe
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a coupe glass.
The stem keeps your hand away from a cold drink, while the rounded bowl makes an up serve easy to sip.
- Standard size
- 200 ml6¾ oz
- Ice & serve
- Chill it first; serve without ice.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a small martini glass or stemmed dessert glass.
- cocktail shaker
- strainer (or a small sieve)
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Gin60 ml
- Dry vermouth22 ml
- Absinthe2 dashes
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Measure into the shaker Pour 60 ml gin into your shaker
Gin
- 02
Measure into the shaker Add 22 ml dry vermouth
Dry vermouth
- 03
Measure into the shaker Add 2 dashes absinthe
Absinthe
- 04
Ice the shaker Fill the shaker with ice
- 05
Seal and shake Seal and shake hard
- 06
Strain cleanly Strain into a chilled glass — no ice
Know your drink
About the Third Degree
Where the absinthe goes
Four dashes is what period recipes call for, against two parts gin to one part French vermouth. Four dashes out of an old bitters bottle is a far smaller pour than four dashes from a modern speed spout, which is one reason this drink has a reputation for being punishing. Start at one barspoon and work upward until the anise sits behind the juniper instead of on top of it.
Common questions
Third Degree FAQ
Period recipes run wetter than this. Does the absinthe need the extra vermouth?
It helps. Old printings put the drink at two parts gin to one of French vermouth, where this pours nearer three to one. Take the vermouth up to 30 ml and its herbs meet the anise halfway, so the absinthe stops sitting on top of the gin. Try both before you settle.
Can I rinse the glass with absinthe instead?
Yes, and it gives you a lighter version. Coat a chilled coupe, tip the excess out, then pour the drink in. You get the aroma on the nose and almost none of the sweetness on the palate, which suits anyone who finds anise heavy going.
Pastis or Herbsaint if I have no absinthe?
Both work with adjustments. Pastis is sweeter and lower proof, so use about two thirds as much or the drink turns syrupy. Herbsaint sits closer in weight and comes out drier. Ouzo is the one to leave alone, since it pushes everything sweet and slightly soapy.
Which gin can stand up to it?
A juniper-forward London dry at 43 percent or above. Soft contemporary gins built around cucumber or rose vanish completely under anise and leave you drinking vermouth and absinthe. Beefeater, Tanqueray and similar heavy-juniper bottlings keep their shape all the way through.
What ingredients are in a Third Degree?
A classic Third Degree calls for 60 ml (2 oz) Gin, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Dry vermouth, 2 dashes absinthe Absinthe. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
How strong is a Third Degree?
A standard Third Degree is roughly 34% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.
Is a Third Degree shaken or stirred?
A Third Degree is shaken. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.
Sharpen the technique
Skills used in this recipe
Where to go next
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