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    Home » Recipes » Gin Cocktails

    Corpse Reviver No. 2 (Gin Cocktail Recipe)

    Jan 14, 2016(updated Aug 2, 2022)

    By Michelle Weiner

    The ​​Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a pre-prohibition cocktail made from gin, aperitif wine, triple sec, lemon juice, and absinthe. It’s a refreshing, light, yet slightly sweet and tart concoction!
    No ratings yet
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 5 minutes
    Jump to Recipe Leave a Comment

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    “Four of these taken in swift succession will un-revive the corpse again.”

    Heading to a speakeasy tonight? Start the night on theme with the Corpse Reviver No. 2. It’s a hangover cure turned retro cocktail made from gin, aperitif wine, triple sec, lemon juice, and absinthe.

    This classic gin cocktail is delightfully refreshing, slightly sweet yet tart, and has lovely hints of citrus. It's a perfectly balanced drink with a lingering end note of anise that suits every sip unbelievably well.

    The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is one of many cocktails I love from Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book. His collection of vintage cocktails always makes a night out with friends extra enjoyable! Once you’ve given this gin cocktail a try, move on to The Abbey Cocktail and The Ruby Fizz Cocktail. They’re sure to be a hit!

    Pouring a Corpse Reviver No. 2 from a cocktail shaker into a cocktail glass.

    A pre-prohibition cocktail

    The original Corpse Reviver No. 2 first popped up in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book. Published in 1930, the Savoy Hotel bartender had the opportunity to publish a variety of classic cocktails and unique concoctions. 

    I mixed up my first Corpse Reviver No. 2 by following the recipe in the book: a mix of equal parts dry gin, Cointreau, Cocchi Americano, lemon juice, and one drop of Pernod. Unfortunately, that first sip only resulted in disappointment. It seemed unbalanced and lacking star anise.

    I played with the recipe, ingredients, and ratios, and voila! My revived, well-balanced Reviver-replica turned out to be a success.

    Featured ingredients

    Almost all of these ingredients should be easy to find at your local liquor store:

    Dry gin

    Gin is my favorite liquor. Its notes of juniper, citrus, and pine make it a well-rounded addition to simple gin and tonics, a classic Negroni, or the more elaborate Seventh Heaven Cocktail. 

    Choose a dry gin for this vintage cocktail. Dry gin, like Beefeater, Tanqueray, or Bombay Sapphire, is botanical-forward and made without any artificial flavors or sweeteners. You’re sure to taste the juniper in every sip.

    Aperitif wine

    These fruity fortified wines are unlike any regular glass of wine you’ve had. They have bold and unique flavor profiles thanks to added botanicals, like roots, bark, flowers, and spices.

    My choice in this vintage gin cocktail was Cocchi Americano (pronounced KOH-kee uh-meh-ree-KAH-noh) although Lillet Blanc is perfectly acceptable as well (albeit sweeter). Kina Lilet was the classic choice (it no longer exists), however, after being reformulated in the 1980s to reduce the quinine levels, the bitterness was almost wiped out. In my opinion, the bitter bite at the end makes this cocktail.

    Orange liqueur

    Like Cointreau or Triple Sec. The liqueur brightens this cocktail with its sweetness and hint of citrus, and also gives it a subtle orange color.

    Lemon juice

    For brightness, balance, and tang. Squeeze the juice yourself if you can!

    Absinthe

    Just because absinthe is sometimes known as the Green Fairy doesn’t mean you’ll be seeing them after sipping on this cocktail! You can relax because the rumor that absinthe is a hallucinogenic is a myth. 

    A splash of absinthe is added to the cocktail shaker, although many people prefer to rinse the glass with absinthe instead. Both methods will give your Corpse Reviver No. 2 a refreshingly bitter note of star anise.

    Two glasses filled with a Corpse Reviver No. 2 cocktail.

    Tips and tricks for the best cocktail

    While this is a fairly simple cocktail, it won’t hurt to follow a few tips and tricks:

    Chill your cocktail glass

    Place your coupe glasses in the freezer ahead of making this dry gin cocktail. Or, if you’re low on time, fill the glasses with ice and a little water to chill them from the inside out. Trust me - cocktails in an ice-cold glass always taste better!

    Don’t forget the ice

    Shaking the cocktail with plenty of fresh ice not only chills every sip but slightly dilutes the alcohol as well. It’s an important step in toning down this very boozy drink.

    Big batch cocktails

    Serving a crowd? Make a big batch of Corpse Reviver No.2’s by following the tips in my big batch cocktail guide.

    Answers to your Q's!

    What is a Corpse Reviver?

    Corpse Revivers are a group of 19th century hangover-curing drinks. These cocktails are meant to be so strongly flavored and potent that they could wake a corpse.

    How many Corpse Revivers are there?

    There are a few varieties of published Corpse Reviver recipes, however, the most popular is No. 2.

    What’s the difference between Corpse Reviver No. 1 and No. 2?

    Corpse Reviver No. 1 was the first of these cocktails to gain popularity after the recipe was published in The Savoy Cocktail Book. It’s made with cognac, apple brandy, and Italian vermouth. It’s an energy-inducing drink, much like No. 2, but more bitter and fruity in flavor.

    🎉 It's time to cook! 🎉

    Alright, friend! It's your turn to make this delish recipe for your next get-together.

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When you do, please leave a comment and star rating below so we can hear what you think! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Corpse Reviver No. 2

    The ​​Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a pre-prohibition cocktail made from gin, aperitif wine, triple sec, lemon juice, and absinthe. It’s a refreshing, light, yet slightly sweet and tart concoction!
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    Author: Michelle Weiner
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Makes: 2

    Ingredients

    • 2 ounces aperitif wine
    • 2 ounces dry gin
    • 2 ounces triple sec
    • 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
    • Splash absinthe

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients into your cocktail shaker of choice.
    • Fill with ice, vigorously shake, and pour into two chilled cocktail glasses.
    Did you make this recipe?Share a pic and tag @cupofzest and use #cupofzest so I can see it!

    Notes

    Cocchi Americano, Hendrick's, Cointreau, and Pernod are my choices for the liquors in this drink, but use what you have on hand!br]
    Adapted from Harry Craddock's [The Savoy Cocktail Book
    .
    « Orange Pomegranate Sparkling Cocktail
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    Comments

    1. Danielle says

      July 08, 2017 at 3:55 pm

      This look amazing! And your glasses are beautiful!? Where did you get them?

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        July 09, 2017 at 11:52 am

        Thanks, Danielle!

        I got the glasses at the Petaluma, CA Antique Fair (http://www.petalumadowntown.com/antique-faire-petaluma.html) they have so many treasures there!

        Reply
    2. Al Ferrand says

      May 18, 2017 at 12:58 pm

      Sounds great! Have one ready for me, next time I see you. Gramps

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        June 16, 2017 at 9:24 pm

        Will do, Gramps! <3

        Reply
    3. Donna says

      December 06, 2016 at 8:27 pm

      This sounds like my perfect cocktail - love the flavors! Will have to wait until this little one comes out before I can try it though 🙂

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 06, 2016 at 11:49 pm

        Congratulations Donna! Glad you are waiting too 😉

        Reply
    4. Jenni says

      December 05, 2016 at 4:48 am

      This sounds awesome! I definitely will have to try it out! Also love your glassware!

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 05, 2016 at 12:07 pm

        Yay! I hope you do! The glassware was my grandma's 🙂

        Reply
    5. Amy says

      December 04, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      I love all the detail and history behind this! So interesting to revive recipes like this!

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 05, 2016 at 12:07 am

        Thanks so much Amy! I'm so passionate about food history and am glad you are enjoying it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Corna says

      December 04, 2016 at 8:24 am

      I am no expert on cocktails at all but it sounds delicious and very refreshing too! I love reading about the history of the drink.

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 04, 2016 at 9:21 am

        It is sooo refreshing! I'm glad you enjoy the history parts too!

        Reply
    7. Leah says

      December 03, 2016 at 9:02 pm

      The Corpse Revivers are all so interesting to me, they are all so different! Sounds great, and cheers to that!

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 04, 2016 at 9:21 am

        Yeah! It's so interesting how there are different variations on the same cocktail! And yeah, they all sound great! Thank so much Leah 🙂

        Reply
    8. Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen says

      December 03, 2016 at 11:38 am

      I so want to try this!! I love the way you explain everything in your post. It was fun to read.

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 03, 2016 at 3:38 pm

        That means so much to me Kimberly! I hope you do get a chance to make it, or order one at a bar 😉

        Reply
    9. Tara says

      December 02, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      This looks so refreshing! Love the photos!

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 02, 2016 at 7:55 pm

        Thanks so much Tara! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

      December 01, 2016 at 2:33 pm

      If you are a gin lover...this would be amazing. Unfortunately I am not a lover of gin...however make it with a different type of alcohol and I'm in.

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 01, 2016 at 3:01 pm

        Yup! I love gin, so this cocktail makes me super happy, but I get it...we like what we like 🙂

        Reply
    11. Michelle @ Brown Butter and Biscuits says

      December 01, 2016 at 4:46 am

      Looks and sounds so classy! I love the presentation as well 🙂

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        December 01, 2016 at 8:56 am

        Thanks so much Michelle! Pour any drink in a fancy glass and I'm hooked 😉

        Reply
    12. Warm Cocotte says

      November 30, 2016 at 12:47 am

      Perfect to digest, must do it for a dinner with friends!
      Wish you a wonderful week!
      Gloria & Emanuele (Warm Cocotte Team)

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        November 30, 2016 at 2:24 pm

        Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful week as well 🙂

        Reply
    13. April says

      November 29, 2016 at 1:58 pm

      Love your photos and your stories! I am such a lightweight! One glass for me and I am out like a light lol.

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        November 29, 2016 at 2:03 pm

        Hahaha...yeah, I have a lot of friends who are the same! <3

        Reply
    14. Marie-Pierre says

      November 29, 2016 at 7:52 am

      That seems like my type of drinks! Fancy, strong and citrusy! Love it, and the glass also;)

      Reply
    15. Tanya@myforkinglife.com says

      November 28, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      I am so in love with your writing! It's like I was right next to you trying this yummy cocktail.

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        November 28, 2016 at 2:16 pm

        Thank you so much Tanya! Wish you were there with me 😉

        Reply
    16. Lindsay @ Veggie Balance says

      February 04, 2016 at 8:55 am

      Mmm anything with gin lately and I am sold! Will have to try this. 🙂

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        February 04, 2016 at 10:28 pm

        Gin is the best! Let me know how you like it Lindsay 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Michelle and welcome to the party!

    After of working in the culinary world for over 10 years, I'm sharing the skills I've learned with you here at Cup of Zest. I'm here to help you invite your friends over more and stress less when cooking for them. Glad you're part of the crew!

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