Corpse Reviver #2

Hair of the dog, with an absinthe rinse

Harry Craddock printed this in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930 with a warning that has outlived him: four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again. It was designed as a morning-after drink, which explains the equal-parts structure — nothing dominates, so it goes down easily at an hour when nothing else will.

The four equal parts

Three-quarters of an ounce each of gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice. Gin supplies juniper, Cointreau supplies orange and sugar, Lillet supplies a light wine-based bitterness, and the lemon keeps the whole thing from collapsing into sweetness. Break the symmetry and the drink stops working: more Cointreau and it cloys, more lemon and the wine vanishes.

The Lillet problem

Craddock called for Kina Lillet, reformulated in 1986 and stripped of most of its quinine bite. Lillet Blanc is the closest bottle on a modern shelf, but it is sweeter, so a barspoon of Cocchi Americano or a drop of tonic water restores the edge the original had. This is the single change that makes a contemporary Corpse Reviver taste like the one in the book.

Rinse, shake, strain

Chill a coupe, add a dash of absinthe and swirl it around the inside before discarding the excess. Shake the four liquids hard over ice for twelve seconds, double strain into the rinsed glass, and twist a strip of orange peel across the surface.

Strength

Roughly 22% ABV in the glass and about 160 calories — a light drink that behaves like a strong one.

Common mistakes

• Shaking with thin, wet ice, which dilutes this delicate drink past repair.
• Adding the absinthe to the tin; a rinse means a rinse.
• Bottled lemon juice, whose preservative shows through at this dilution.

Variations

The Corpse Reviver No. 1 is a brandy and apple-brandy drink with no citrus at all. The Corpse Reviver No. 3 replaces the gin with a teaspoon of crème de menthe.

Is it really a brunch drink?

It was invented as one. Serve it before noon with something salty, or after dinner as a light digestif.

Can you use another orange liqueur?

Cointreau is the standard. Grand Marnier is heavier and sweeter, so pour a little less of it and add a touch more lemon.