The Corpse Reviver No. 2 recipe
for your table
Rinse a chilled coupe with a bar spoonful of absinthe and discard the remainder.
Shake gin, Cointreau, Lillet and lemon juice with plenty of ice for 12 seconds.
Double strain into the prepared coupe.
Garnish with a cherry or a squeezed orange zest.
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The story
'Corpse revivers' were an entire category in the nineteenth century: morning cocktails that brought you back among the living after a long night. Harry Craddock immortalized number 2 in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, including the most famous warning in cocktail literature: "Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again." Of all the revivers, number 2 is the only one that truly endured, and it has been more popular than ever since the cocktail renaissance of the 2000s.
The Right Glass
Serve this resuscitation in glass form in a classic coupe of 20 to 33 cl. The absinthe rinse settles beautifully in the wide bowl, so every sip begins with that mysterious anise aroma. Choose a model with a vintage look - after all, this cocktail comes straight from 1930 - and place the glass in the freezer beforehand for the best result. If you prefer to serve it in a smaller stemmed glass, take a look at our Nick & Nora glasses.
Lehmann Paris Champagne Glass / Coupe 20 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Aria Champagne Glass / Coupe 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 114,90.
The right tools
For a Corpse Reviver No. 2, in addition to the glass, you use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 139,70.
Variations & twists
Kina Lillet no longer exists; Lillet Blanc works perfectly well, but Cocchi Americano comes closer to the original bitterness. Number 1 from the same family, with cognac and calvados, is a very different, heavier drink. You can replace the absinthe rinse with an absinthe atomizer. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Follow Craddock's warning: no more than a couple per evening. The balance between the four equal parts is precise. Measure carefully with a jigger.
Good to know
The ratio: four equal parts of 2 cl
Four ingredients, four times 2 cl: gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and fresh lemon juice are used in exactly equal amounts here. Precisely because nothing dominates, measuring matters more than with almost any other classic. Half a centiliter too much Cointreau makes it sticky, while half a centiliter too much lemon makes it sharp. So use a jigger and don't pour by feel. Want to make it larger? Multiply all four parts by the same factor; with 2.5 cl per ingredient, you get 10 cl, which a 20 cl coupe can comfortably accommodate.
Lillet Blanc, Kina Lillet or Cocchi Americano
The original recipe calls for Kina Lillet, which has not existed since 1986. Today's Lillet Blanc is noticeably sweeter and less bitter because its quinine content was significantly reduced. It works perfectly well and is available everywhere, but anyone looking for the old bitterness will get closer with Cocchi Americano; it still contains real cinchona bark. Cocchi is slightly heavier, so stick to the same 2 cl and taste first. Both bottles are wine aperitifs and therefore have a limited shelf life: refrigerate them after opening and use them within a month or two.
The absinthe rinse without a whole bottle of absinthe
The rinse uses less than half a centiliter, so buying a whole bottle feels excessive. A 5 cl miniature bottle is enough for at least twenty cocktails. If you have nothing at home, pastis or another anise liqueur comes reasonably close, although it is sweeter, so rinse it out extra thoroughly. An absinthe atomizer is the most economical option: two sprays into a chilled coupe provide just enough aroma. Whatever you do, don't shake the absinthe in, because then the anise dominates the entire cocktail instead of just the first sip.
Corpse Reviver No. 1 and the rest of the family
There were once about ten of them. Number 1 is the best-known other one: cognac, calvados, and sweet vermouth, stirred and without citrus, making it considerably heavier and warmer in character. You would drink that more by a fireplace than at brunch. Number 2 is the only one to have truly survived the cocktail renaissance, probably because the lemon and absinthe keep it surprisingly fresh despite four parts alcohol. The name referred to morning drinks for a hangover, a category that also gave rise to the Bloody Mary.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Corpse Reviver No. 2?
Four equal 2 cl parts: gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served in a coupe rinsed with a bar spoonful of absinthe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry or a squeezed orange zest. The absinthe lingers in the glass and adds the anise aroma.
What is the ratio for a Corpse Reviver No. 2?
Equal parts, in other words 1:1:1:1. In this recipe, that means four 2 cl measures each of gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and fresh lemon juice. Precisely because no single ingredient dominates, accurate measuring matters: use a jigger instead of pouring by feel, otherwise the balance shifts immediately.
Is there also a Corpse Reviver No. 1?
Yes, but that is a very different drink: cognac, calvados, and sweet vermouth, stirred and much heavier in character. The corpse revivers were a whole family of morning cocktails in the nineteenth century; only number 2 has remained truly popular since the cocktail renaissance.
Which glass do you serve a Corpse Reviver No. 2 in?
In a 20 to 33 cl coupe, pre-chilled in the freezer. The wide bowl holds the absinthe rinse, so every sip begins with that mysterious anise aroma. A model with vintage lines suits a recipe from 1930: see our champagne coupe glasses.
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