the corpse reviver # 2 (gin) drink recipe

Posted on by barkeep

This Gin based recipe is the most popular of the Corpse Reviver family of drinks. There are several different drink that carry the same name of Corpse Reviver, and this particular recipe is better known as the Corpse Reviver #2.

This drink has a complex recipe in terms of the several different ingredients it contains and the varying flavor profiles. The orange liqueur adds a note of sweetness while the lemon juice produces a note of tartness or sour. The Lillet Blanc is a wine based aperitif with floral notes. The Gin that acts as the base does also have some floral and herbal notes depending on the brand you use. The dash of absinthe finishes it off with a slight anise flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 shot of you favorite Gin
  • 1 shot of Cointreau
  • 1 shot of the Lillet Blanc
  • 1 shot of fresh Lemon Juice
  • A dash of the Absinthe
  • A lemon peel or marschino cherry for garnish

Preparation/Recipe

  1. Add ice cubes into a martini shaker
  2. Add 1 shot of Gin into the shaker
  3. Add 1 shot of Cointreau into the shaker
  4. Add 1 shot of Lillet Blanc (or Blonde) into the shaker
  5. Add 1 shot of freshly squeezed lemon juice into the shaker
  6. Pour a dash of the Absinthe into a chilled martini glass
  7. Swirl the absinthe around in the glass to coat the surface of the glass evenly and then empty the excess absinthe
  8. Shake the contents of the martini shaker well
  9. Strain the contents from the shaker into the martini glass
  10. Garnish with a cherry or lemon peel
Gin Based Corpse Reviver Martini

Tips

  • Stay close to the proportions as much as possible, because all the ingredients does have their own unique flavor profiles. Overshooting the proportion of one ingredient will tend to skew the flavor.
  • Dash of absinthe is another ingredient that you should careful with, as it does have a very strong flavor and even a little bit extra will make the drink taste completely different.
  • The most commonly used absinthe is the Absente, but you could substitute with other such as Pastis or Pernod.

Variations

  • Several of the hangover cure drinks have taken the name of Corpse Reviver over the years. Most of the recipes have been lost over time, but this particular recipe is a survivor of the family from the Savoy Cocktail Handbook from the 1930s.
  • Another version of the drink is a cognac based martini drink with brandy, often referred to as the Corpse Reviver #1.