The Corpse Reviver #2
August 18, 2008
I really wanted to throw this drink up for the recent New Orleans Mixology Monday, but the Corpse Reviver #2 isn’t necessarily a drink that made its way out of the womb in
Typically, they were served as a ‘morning after’ drink—not to be confused with the ‘morning after’ pill. They provide the body with two very different things, but I suppose if one partakes of enough Corpse Reviver’s during the ‘morning after’, the same goal may possibly be met. What I love about this type of drink is its unexpected complexity. At first glance, one might assume it to be a bit lacking, but when the ingredients come together, all sorts of flavors appear out of thin air.
So while certain people found NOLA’s Sazerac’s lacking, and the Vieux Carre’s inconsistent, a Corpse Reviver at the Swizzle Stick was an awesome alternative for me. Some people like to jack with the traditional proportions, but again, there is grace in the simplicity.
Corpse Reviver #2
¾ oz. Gin
¾ oz. Lemon Juice
¾ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. Lillet Blanc
A dash of Absinthe
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker full of ice. Shake hard and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry or lemon twist or both.
Not the longest post ever, but hey, I just wanted to throw a nod to a great drink. We don’t need to hear Robert ramble on like an encyclopedia all the time.
hee.. the lemon-wrapped cherry looks like an eyeball… how appropriate for an eye-opener
Like you said, there is grace in the simplicity. :p Then again, there is a time for rattling on like an encyclopedia. I think Ecclesiastes says something about that.
There’s something about cocktails with gin and lemon juice…mmmm….
I wish I could say that I was brilliant enough for that to be intentional…
I love the CR2. It was one of the first drinks I made after I got Ted Haigh’s book, and I still go back to it often.
Your description about it appearing lacking at first but then the flavors appearing out of thin air is spot on!
I would like a late summer cocktail that I can prepare at home without great expense that is refreshing and tasty. Vodka or gin as the liquor. Or rum.What can you recommend? I do not want to invest a lot in an obscure ingredient that is both difficult to obtain and I might never use after one drink. Could have a fruit component but not required. Thanks for your recommendations. Patrick
I love this drink too. One day I intend to actually make one when my corpse needs reviving!
I also love the garnish, but I just wanted to say the photo itself is a real beauty.
Summer cocktails…light, refreshing, tasty, yet cheap. I’m not sure why, but the first thing that popped into my head was a Daiquiri. Not those slushy, overly-sweet, sweet-n-sour mix things though. A simple Daiquiri. Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.
From Gary Regan’s Joy of Mixology:
2 oz. Light Rum
1 oz. Lime Juice
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
Shake with ice and strain.
If you wanted to fancy it up a little bit you could get a nicer aged rum, although the purists might crucify me for putting anything but white rum in a daiquiri. Screw em. Last night my wife wanted a daiquiri and all I had was a little Ron Zacapa 23 year. It worked fine, although it was definitely overkill. If you’re not a person that keeps 17 different bottles of rum around the house to accompany your various drinking moods, a bottle of something like the Rhum Barbancourt 5-star is nice to have because it works fine in most mixed drinks, but also as a sipper.
If you wanted to fancy the daiquiri up a little more, you could make one the way Hemingway preferred his. Although it is somewhat vague as to the real story behind the drink, it is generally accepted that Hemingway didn’t care for sweet drinks. La Floridita, a bar in Cuba, became one of Hemingway’s favorite haunts. When he ordered a drink there it was said to typically be a twist on the daiquiri. Instead of sweetening the drink with pure simple syrup, Hemingway would request Maraschino in its place. A splash of grapefruit juice was also added. The drink became very popular at the particular bar for obvious reasons. Whether you call it a La Floridita or a Hemingway Daiquiri, the drink is usually considered the same thing depending on who you talk to. Here is a fairly accepted recipe for the Hemingway Daiquiri even though it does still contain a little simple syrup:
Hemingway Daiquiri
2 oz. Light Rum
3/4 oz. Lime Juice
2 bar spoons Maraschino
2 bar spoons Simple Syrup
Splash of Grapefruit Juice
Shake with ice and strain.
Hope this helps.
You guys are always spot on with your taste. CR#2s are a big standard for me (anything with Lillet Blac tends to be). Very interesting with St. Germain for the Cointreau, also.
I would like to point you all to Ellestad and his post on the the CR#2. http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/2008/07/28/corpse-reviver-cocktail-no-2/
I dare you all to make both drinks side by side. Lillet Blanc just does not stand up at all.
I would LOVE to try both drinks side by side. Unfortunately, I have not run across the Cocchi Aperitivo Americano in Texas. I’m not 100% sure that we can get it here in our TABC-governed “Great State”. That will definitely be a purchase I’ll make next time I’m on the West Coast. Thanks for the link!
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