Why Corpse Reviver No. 2 Dominates
While the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel remains the spiritual birthplace of these cocktails, it’s the Corpse Reviver No. 2 that has found its way onto contemporary bar menus worldwide, celebrated as an essential brunch cocktail. Its popularity is attributed to its palatable balance of sweet, sour, and herbal notes—a refreshing contrast to the heavier, more spirit-forward Corpse Reviver #1.
The drink’s revival speaks to a broader trend of looking to the past for inspiration, finding in these recipes not just a link to cocktail history but a living tradition that continues to evolve and enchant. But, beware! As noted in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, “Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”
Corpse Reviver No. 2 Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. London dry gin
- 1 oz. Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1 dash absinthe (no absinthe? Try a dash of salt)
- 1 lemon peel
Steps:
- Pour all the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously until very cold.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a twist of lemon peel, and serve immediately.
The original recipe listed by Harry Craddock in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book:
