Corpse Reviver No. 2

It’s perfectly okay not to discard the absinthe during the rinse if you like its flavor. You could even add the dash into the cocktail shaker before mixing as Harry Craddock’s original recipe actually called for. 

For those exploring gin cocktails, this should be a bright, aromatic and refreshing recipe which distinguishes itself from others you may have already tried.

Note that the Cocchi Americano will add a bitter component, whereas the Lillet Blanc will keep this cocktail on the sweeter side. 

A griottine is fantastic as an alternative to the maraschino cherry. Its flavor pairs greatly with the other ingredients in this cocktail.

In Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930, he makes a note of this cocktail which reads: “Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again”

The name Corpse Reviver dates back to the 1800s, where it was used as a catch-all term to refer to a mixed drink which would work as a hangover cure. There wasn’t a standard recipe, rather, each bartender had their own unique mixture.

The name appears as early as an issue of Punch in 1861: “(...), and after liquoring up a Sling, a Stone Wall, and a Corpse-Reviver, he merrily danced forth into the middle of the room, and sang a pleasant little song”.

The recipe from The Savoy Cocktail Book lists Kina Lillet as one of the ingredients. Kina Lillet is no longer produced, which is why nowadays it is commonly replaced by either Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc.