Name: Corpse Reviver No. 2
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cocktail
Ingredients: ¾ oz London Dry Gin; ¾ oz Cointreau; ¾ oz Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano); ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice; 1 dash Absinthe (for the rinse)

Ingredients

¾ oz London Dry Gin
¾ oz Cointreau
¾ oz Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano)
¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
1 dash Absinthe (for the rinse)

Method

1

Rinse the coupePour a small amount of absinthe into a chilled coupe. Swirl to coat the inside and discard the excess. The residual aroma and flavour is the point — not the absinthe itself.
2

Combine in shakerAdd gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and lemon juice to a shaker.
3

Add ice and shakeAdd ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
4

StrainStrain into the absinthe-rinsed coupe.
5

ServeNo garnish. The anise aroma from the absinthe rinse is the garnish.

The Savoy Hangover Cure

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 appeared in Harry Craddock's 1930 'Savoy Cocktail Book'. Craddock wrote of the series: 'To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed.' He added the famous warning: 'Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.'

The 'No. 2' implies a series — the Corpse Reviver No. 1 is a brandy-based, stirred drink aimed at more serious reviving. No. 2 became the famous one because its equal-parts balance and the absinthe rinse are such an elegant trick. The absinthe adds an aromatic complexity that makes the drink smell more interesting than it has any right to.

Variations

🌿 Lillet Blanc Swap

Replace Lillet Blanc with Cocchi Americano for a more bitter, complex result. Cocchi is more herbal and less sweet than Lillet.

🍊 Corpse Reviver No. 1

Stir together 1 oz Cognac, ½ oz Calvados, and ½ oz sweet vermouth. The original 'morning' recipe — slower to work but harder to refuse.

🫧 Bubbly Reviver

Add 1 oz chilled Champagne or Prosecco as a topper after straining. Lighter and more celebratory for brunch.

👻 Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Savoy Hangover Cure

🌿 Lillet Blanc Swap

🍊 Corpse Reviver No. 1

🫧 Bubbly Reviver