Corpse Reviver #2

Corpse Reviver #2 is one enchanting cocktail. It is finally Halloween season. I have been holding on to this cocktail until I could post it as part of the spooky season, we all love. It is a fantastic cocktail to serve this time of the year. The name alone makes it worth serving as part of a Halloween party. However, it is not the name that is why I love this classic sipper. Many Halloween cocktails are cloyingly sweet or have strange combinations. If you follow me at all, I don’t like cocktails that are very sugary or fruity. This cocktail is not very sweet, with only the Cointreau adding the needed sweetness to balance the lemon juice. I have heard about this cocktail for some time now, as it keeps coming up on my YouTube feed. I finally decided to try this classic cocktail a while ago. It has now become one of my favorite cocktails of all time. The Corpse Reviver #2 is bright and citrusy with just an ever-so-slight hint of absinthe. If done right, these cocktails are straightforward to drink. But why a #2? Well, there is a #1. But by all accounts, the #2 is the more popular and better version.

Corpse Revivers is a classic family of cocktails that has its origins from the late 1800s. The tongue-in-cheek name suggests they are strong enough to even wake a corpse. Many of the earliest versions of Corpse Revivers had brandy as its main spirit. And all of the cocktails were on the strong side. Harry Craddock published his famous The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. In his cocktail book From the American Bar in London’s Savoy Hotel, he lists two Corpse Revivers, the #1 and the #2. Yes, there is a #1. It is more of the classic brandy variation. I think I need to make one of those soon, too. But for today, we are talking about Corpse Reviver #2. This classic has gin (I used Spring44 here which is perfect), orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano, which is considered closer to the original Lillet Blanc which has changed. However, it is harder to find and Lillet Blanc is still fantastic in this cocktail.), and a dash of absinthe in a surprisingly well-balanced and refreshing cocktail. In his book, Harry says that “Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.” Which is probably right, as if I drank four of them quickly, I would be passed out on the floor!

Now I will admit, one of the reasons I had hesitated to make this cocktail was the absinthe. I am not a huge fan of licorice, which is the prominent flavor of this mystical spirit. And I have avoided any cocktails with this famous liquor, as I was afraid it would just taste like those scary black chunks that my father used to love to chew on. However, as with many things in the food world, powerful things add to the overall taste if used in moderation. They wouldn’t be the same without them. This cocktail is definitely one of those. The absinthe adds just this hint of flavor that brings the whole cocktail together. Absinthe used to be banned in the US and many parts of the world from the idea that wormwood and other ingredients made people have visions and do crazy things. But many studies since have proven that the hallucinogenic properties have been greatly exaggerated, and now you can find this mysterious spirit again everywhere. So don’t be afraid of it, and a little goes a long way to make this cocktail sing. And besides, you can use the idea that it has a mysterious ingredient as part of why you are serving it.

Traditionally The Corpse Reviver #2 is served in a martini glass, but it also looks fantastic in a Nick and Nora glass, which I have used in this post. I got mine from Amazon, and they are not expensive and a great addition to any bar setup. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.) To make this cocktail, you need to either rinse the glass with the absinthe and pour out the excess or spray a couple of sprays from an atomizer filled with absinthe. I found this one here, and it is perfect for this cocktail.

Well, that is all for this week. Fall is finally here, and it always puts me in a fantastic mood. I love everything about this season, and of course, it is almost Halloween! This cocktail is absolutely something to put you in a spooky vibe. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Please think of others in your choices. Until next time!

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Corpse Reviver #2

Corpse Reviver #2 is a classic cocktail with gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc, and a dash of absinthe in a surprisingly well-balanced and refreshing cocktail.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. gin Spring44 Gin is perfect for this cocktail
• 1 oz. Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano more traditional but hard to find
• 1 oz. Cointreau or Curaçao
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1 dash absinthe

Lemon peel, for garnish, is optional but adds to the citrus flavor.

Instructions

1. Chill a Nick and Nora or martini glass.
2. Combine the gin, Lillet or Cocchi Americano, Cointreau in a cocktail shaker.
3. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake for several seconds until the cocktail is ice cold.
4. Coat the chilled cocktail glass with a dash of absinthe, pour any excess out, or spray several times using an atomizer filled with absinthe.
5. Double strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.
6. Garnish with the optional lemon peel.