Looking for a gin cocktail fitting for the season? The corpse reviver #2 is deliciously tart and predicated on balance.
The numeral at the end of the name alludes to it differing from the original corpse reviver cocktail. Colloquially, “corpse reviver” was a dram of spirits concocted for those who had a hangover. While it dates to the late 1800s, it didn’t become popular until appearing in Harry Craddock’s “The Savoy Cocktail Book” of 1930. This enduring legacy of Craddock’s more than 40 years at the Savoy Hotel’s American Bar in London still is in use by bartenders today.
The original corpse reviver, which isn’t as popular nowadays, combines equal measures of cognac, Calvados (apple brandy) and sweet vermouth. It’s richer and lusher than its bright, floral sibling. In Craddock’s book, you get a snippet of his wit: “Four of these taken in quick succession will unrevive the corpse again.”
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Credit: Angela Hansberger
The corpse reviver #2 has a foundation of gin and a balance of sweet and sour citrus components, including Cointreau (or any orange liqueur), Lillet Blanc (or white vermouth) and lemon juice. A sip can be bracing and tart at the same time, as it is both floral and bitter. A glass rinse of absinthe adds aromatics and herbal flavor.
Even if it’s not on the cocktail menu, most barkeeps have the recipe as part of their repertoire. I tested this theory over the past few weeks and had classic versions around Atlanta, as well as some fun riffs.
Tim Faulkner at Whoopsie’s is keen on a corpse reviver. “What makes it so delicious is its balanced simplicity,” he said. “Though it is deceptively boozy, each ingredient is in equal proportion.”
His current rendition at the Reynoldstown bar is a corpse reviver #3, with a 1:1:1 ratio of Campari, curacao and cognac. “The bitterness of the Campari is tempered by the sweetness of the curacao,” he said, “while the cognac punches through those flavors to level it all out.”
It has an inky blue tint and is murky and mysterious — perfect for this time of year.
Whoopsie’s. 1 Moreland Ave. SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/whooopsies_place
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