Recently I have been obsessed with old school cocktails. The more I research the more I find that intrigues me. Also, the more I Google the more cocktails come up in my feeds, in search and on socials. This one didn’t come to me either by search or my feed. I found a revised version of the Corpse Reviver No 2 on a menu of one of my favorite restaurants (Urban Wren).

The Corpse Reviver No 2 got it’s name because it was a brunch/hangover drink and dates back to the 1870s. The original Corpse Reviver (No 1) had cognac, Calvados and sweet vermouth. The version below is a more accessible version No 2. The “official” recipe has gin, Lillet blanc (a French aperitif), orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. The official version and the one below both have the absinth rinse, which I love. The absinthe adds a really nice aroma without overpowering the cocktail.

This is my favorite non whiskey drink I’ve made in a long time. The Corpse Reviver No 2 is inline with my recent preference for savory and booze forward drinks, just with gin not whiskey. It has some pop but the sweet from the Grand Marnier balances the sour from the lemon. The botanical flavors from the gin pair well with the aromas of the absinth rinse.

I cut the lemon juice to 3/4 ounce because I wanted a little less acidity. Even though the recipe calls for equal parts. I probably added a little less than an ounce of the dry vermouth.

Ingredients for a Corpse Reviver No 2

• 1 ounce gin
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce Grand Marnier
• 1 ounce dry vermouth
• Absinth to rinse

How to make a Corpse Reviver No 2

1. Add the gin, lemon juice, Grand Marnier and vermouth into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until cold and combined, 20 seconds.
2. Pour a teaspoon or so of absinth into a coupe or cocktail glass, swirl to coat the glass and disregard the rest.
3. Strain cocktail into the prepared glass.
4. Garnish with lemon twist.