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Corpse Reviver No.2 (Savoy Recipe)
Well-balanced, with zesty lemon and absinthe just shining through. I've added the merest dash of sugar, but depending on your personal tastes, citrus juice...
Helge Syversen
18th May at 17:23
I skipped the sugar sirup and was more generous with the Absente Liqeur (55%alc) A bar - spoon full made this cocktail a nice experience.
31st October 2024 at 22:40
Recommended as one of the 20 best Halloween cocktails, I tried this tonight awaiting trick or treaters. As originally it called for Kina Lillet, I used Sacred English Amber Vermouth rather than Lillet Blanc as as per the Sacred Spirit's web site, this vermouth is now purportedly "the closest equivalent to the legendary Kina Lillet". While I can't speak to the veracity of that claim, I can say it was delicious. Gotta go now ... the the doorbell is ringing!
14th September 2024 at 13:04
Back again. Went slightly scant on the lemon juice due to current crop, kept in the 2.5 sugar, and was very happy with the balance this evening. Aviation gin, cocchi americano. Love the herbal balance and freshness, underpinned by unctuous orange and absinthe. A bona fide classic with good reason.
10th August 2024 at 12:52
My first going using an atomiser (aka little spray bottle from the dollar shop) and it worked a treat with the absinthe!
26th July 2024 at 21:26
Used lillet which in itself was really quaffable, the end result was super dry and very complex, zesty and orangey with the absinthe tones and very gentle bitterness. Outstanding drink
10th August 2024 at 12:53
Yes Lillet is delicious!
5th May 2024 at 13:57
Went with the Leeds version in the description on this occasion, and using Cocchi Americano. The single dash of absinthe delicately in the background. Very, very drinkable indeed.
1st April 2024 at 02:12
Not to make a habit of pointing out typos, but the "Variant" section reads "a dad too sour" instead of, presumably, "a tad too sour." Sometimes I write video game criticism, and, fair warning, I'm going to steal this for a headline next time I have to produce something about the burgeoning genre of "sad dad" games. Whether it's Kratos from "God of War" or Harry from "Silent Hill" or Joel from "The Last of Us," one of them is going to be "A Dad Too Sour." Coming soon.
1st April 2024 at 08:28
Thanks, Erik. Always happy to have my typos corrected.
21st February 2024 at 22:13
The La Fee bottle I have lacks a built in dasher. How much is it millilitres?
22nd February 2024 at 08:23
Hi John. Please click on "measures and measuring" immediately under the recipe above for a full explanation of all measures, including dashes.
3rd January 2024 at 09:51
Absolutely a favourite! This is one beautiful tasting cocktail and being in a West Australian summer, the refreshing ingredients and flavours hit it right off. I use fresh squeezed lemon juice and probably like everything else in Australia, it tries to kill you so I back off the lemon juice ratio and up the simple syrup ratio to balance. Jusssssst right! Cheers!
9th July 2023 at 21:37
Absinthe present on the nose but a very citrus forward cocktail. As John said, no one alcohol flavor stood out. Nicely balanced.
7th July 2023 at 18:41
I also enjoy this drink made with genever instead of gin. And Liber makes a tonic syrup with quinine which lets you add some bitter notes with the syrup.
20th November 2022 at 08:12
One of my favorites…an incredibly well-balanced and refreshing drink. Use Cocchi Americano if you want to stay true to the original; Kina Lillet changed its taste profile over the years to be less bitter.
6th November 2022 at 14:23
Alas missing the absinthe so not sure I can really comment having failed to follow the recipe but not all that excited by this.
5th July 2022 at 15:57
I like to up the alcohols and lemon juice to one ounce each because I don't care too much about it making me a corpse again. I also use Cocchi Americano because I like the bitter touch and rather than rinsing the glass with absinthe I put about half a teaspoon in. This is not traditional in the least but it really suits my taste.
5th July 2022 at 19:45
I use 1 ounce of gin, but keep everything else at 3/4 ounce.
23rd June 2022 at 22:57
The link to the ‘Kina’ page is a loop back to this one. I love reading all the histories and the ‘modern’ stories you share. They are always chock full of information and definitely well-written.
24th June 2022 at 07:49
Man thanks, Felicia. The link is now fixed.
11th March 2022 at 08:46
"citrus juice and tripe sec" should, of course, read "citrus juice and triple sec".
12th March 2022 at 16:25
Thanks Chris. Missing 'l' now added.
Anonymous
24th January 2022 at 03:22
Realized halfway through that I was out of lemons so had to sub lime: still worked well and was immensely drinkable. Almost too sweet, mayne?
16th September 2021 at 13:45
I used Haymans Old Tom which is a bit sweeter than London Dry, and I feel that was enough sweetness for me not to need the simple. This really is a beautiful drink.
30th August 2021 at 00:48
This was great. No one flavour stood out. Well balanced, and, unfortunately, very easy to drink. Could be dangerous.
28th August 2021 at 00:28
Sans the syrup it's great!
5th April 2021 at 01:12
I agree about the lemon juice. Delicious just slightly reducing the amount. Also agree about Cocchi Americano. A delicious Easter cocktail!
Anonymous
9th March 2021 at 14:43
Lillet was stripped of its bitterness in the 80s, robbing CR#2 of a key note. I would never use it now. However Cocchi Americano has come to the rescue which, together with triple sec, gin and fresh lemon juice all in equal measure (preceded by an absinthe wash of the glass), hits the mark perfectly every time.
18th November 2020 at 08:07
Omit the syrup and this is one of my favourite drinks.
30th August 2020 at 02:08
Call me a heretic, but I subbed an Amontillado for the Lillet. Corpse Revivers have had enough variation over the last century, I think the corpses won't spin in their graves too much.
I enjoyed my first sip. Then the wife claimed the rest. Making a second one in a few seconds.
I enjoyed my first sip. Then the wife claimed the rest. Making a second one in a few seconds.
7th August 2020 at 16:27
I tried this with a green tea infused Bombay sapphire last night and was very pleased with the added floral notes from the tea. It might be my standard house variant for this cocktail.
6th August 2020 at 04:01
Bracing and nicely boozy. Good in the morning, good in the evening, good any time your corpse needs reviving.
29th June 2020 at 12:09
As always I enjoyed the history article by Simon Difford. This is one of my favourite cocktails. I like absinthe, but you have to control the glass “wash” carefully.
29th June 2020 at 13:14
Many thanks for your kind words Simon.