Corpse Reviver No. 2 Recipe: Gin, Lillet and Lemon

Corpse Reviver No. 2

Pale gold, sharp with lemon, soft with orange and wine, and just a faint trace of anise hanging over the glass. Each ingredient is equal, and the balance is almost perfect.

4.7Editors’ rating

Taste4.7

Balance4.7

Easy to make3.2

Popularity60

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GlassCoupe

TechniqueShaken

DifficultyMedium

Time4 min

StrengthMedium (approx. 20 % ABV)

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Ingredients

1 oz London dry gine.g. Tanqueray · Gordon's · Beefeater · Bombay Sapphire · Sipsmith
1 oz CointreauBuy on Amazon →
1 oz Lillet BlancBuy on Amazon →
1 oz lemon juice freshly squeezed
1 dash absinthe or rinse the glasse.g. Pernod · La Clandestine · Kübler · St. George · Lucid

Garnish: Orange twist · Ice: Served up, no ice

Method

Chill a coupe and rinse it with absinthe, discarding the excess, or add a dash to the shaker.
Add gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice to a shaker with ice.
Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe.
Express an orange twist over the drink.

Watch it made

Corpse Reviver No. 2

Taste

Tart and bright with orange, soft wine notes and a faint anise finish. Medium strength, crisp and refreshing.

History and origin

Corpse revivers were a family of 19th century morning drinks meant to bring the drinker back to life after a heavy night. Most of them are forgotten, but the No. 2 survived thanks to Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930. Craddock famously warned that four of them taken in swift succession would unrevive the corpse again.

The original called for Kina Lillet, a quinine-flavored aperitif wine that was later reformulated as Lillet Blanc, which is less bitter. Some bartenders use Cocchi Americano to get closer to the old taste. The drink became a cult favorite during the cocktail revival and is now listed by the IBA among the unforgettables.

Bartender tips

Go light on the absinthe: it should be a hint, not the main flavor.
Try Cocchi Americano instead of Lillet Blanc for a slightly more bitter, historic style.
Equal parts make it easy to batch; add about 20 percent water and keep it in the freezer.

Variations

Corpse Reviver No. 1: A stirred brandy drink with calvados and sweet vermouth.
Corpse Reviver No. Blue: A modern twist that swaps Cointreau for blue curaçao for a bright blue color.