Corpse Reviver #2 Cocktail Recipe
Equal parts gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc and lemon, sharpened by a whisper of absinthe.
- Category: Contemporary Classics
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 19%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Gin30 ml (1 oz)
- Triple sec30 ml (1 oz)
- Lillet Blanc30 ml (1 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice30 ml (1 oz)
- Absinthe1 dash
How to Make It
- Rinse a chilled coupe with the absinthe and discard the excess.
- Shake the gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice with ice.
- Double strain into the prepared coupe.
- Express the orange zest over the drink and serve.
Garnish
Orange zest.
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads and it smells of lemon and lime peel.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Gin
- London dry gin: juniper up front, citrus and coriander behind it. Brand really does show here — Beefeater is sharp, Hendrick's floral, Tanqueray juniper-heavy.
- Triple sec
- The general name for orange-peel liqueurs, running anywhere from 15% to 40% depending on the brand. That range changes the drink directly, so it is worth reading the label.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
- Absinthe
- The anise spirit, 55-70% alcohol. In cocktails it is used as a rinse rather than a measure: most recipes have you coat the glass and pour the rest away, leaving only the aroma.
The Story
Set down in a 1930 London hotel bar book, it belongs to a family of 'corpse reviver' pick-me-ups meant to be drunk the morning after.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Corpse Reviver #2 mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Corpse Reviver #2?
- Roughly 19% ABV as served — in fortified-wine territory — plan it as a single drink.
- Can a Corpse Reviver #2 be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Corpse Reviver #2 hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.