Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a classic cocktail created with equal parts gin, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and a fortified wine such as Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano. The drink gains additional aromatics from an absinthe rinse.

As its number may indicate, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 is part of a larger family of drinks called Corpse Revivers, named for their ability to raise drinkers from the dead, or cure hangovers. Despite this (and yes, there is a brandy-based Corpse Reviver No. 1), almost any modern order for a Corpse Reviver at a bar will result in the No. 2 variety, the only version to have stood the test of time in popular tastes.

While four of its five ingredients contain alcohol, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 is not a particularly boozy drink. Each main ingredient is only 3/4 ounce, which creates a drink that’s more tart and fruit-forward. It has an ABV of around 15–16% (depending on the specific spirits chosen), or roughly the same as that of a bold red wine. By comparison, a 2:1 gin-to-vermouth Martini will usually come in at around 28–30% ABV. That figure can go up significantly if you prefer your Martinis dry.

As a drink that precedes Prohibition by at least a few decades, it’s hard to pin down the exact origins of the Corpse Reviver. Mentions of the drink by name date to at least the 1860s, though the iconic No. 1 and No. 2 varieties were codified in The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock in 1930. Wherever it came from, the drink has persevered mostly in the same form for the past century or so. It’s a supremely easy-drinking cocktail that will please just about anybody.

Why the Corpse Reviver No. 2 works

Balance is key to a Corpse Reviver No. 2. That isn’t hard to achieve since the drink is formulated in equal parts, which makes it simple to mix correctly even without a jigger. Similar to the equal-parts Last Word, no ingredient should overpower the others, which leaves something tart and fruit-forward with a very mild backbone of alcohol heat.

The absinthe rinse is key to this drink. It’s intended to provide aromatics that come through on the nose when you sip, but yet aren’t particularly perceptible on the palate. To do this, pour a small amount of absinthe into the empty glass before mixing. Swirl it around to coat the interior, then discard any excess liquid.

Early Corpse Reviver No. 2 recipes (such as Craddock’s) call for Kina Lillet, a brand of fortified wine that was discontinued in 1986. Lillet Blanc can be used as a replacement, but it will create a more fruit-forward cocktail. The wine doesn’t contain the bittering cinchona bark of the original formulation. 

Cocchi Americano, another type of fortified aromatized wine, contains quinine similar to the original Kina Lillet recipe. Both options work well in the drink. The choice should come down to personal taste.