A Cocktail Strong Enough To Wake The Dead!?!
Our final scary cocktail is a real trick or treat…
THE CORPSE REVIVER No.2
I think of this cocktail as the mother, nay the mummy of all cocktails. It is a drink that incites both interest and fear as I wonder whether it would be a good idea to make one. As Hallowe’en is approaching and I think of all those awful purple and red sickly Hallowe’en concoctions adorning online foody magazines, I think now is the time to put my fear behind me, settle that pique of intrigue once and for all, roll up my sleeves, get out the cocktail shaker and make one. Then I realise I don’t have half of the ingredients so I go online and pick up the eye of newt, toe of frog, or rather Lillet Blanc, maraschino cherries (quite like a newt’s eye if I think about it) and Absinthe. And now the fun begins.
The name, Corpse Reviver No.2 seems slightly inauspicious as if something dreadful had happened after people drank the first one – a liquid version of Scream 1-5. One piece of advice I would give is definitely do not drink this and then venture into the basement. This strong libation will turn your legs to jelly and if you make it downstairs, you may never make it back!
I like to exaggerate almost as much as those who think that this drink is so effective as a hangover cure, it could bring you back from the dead. As a responsible adult, I would not recommend this – no, you can drink yourself silly for all I care - it would be unwise to drink this as a hangover remedy as surely it would give you the worst heartburn imaginable.
Sip it by all means, have it for brunch if you wish but enjoy it and think of all those Jeeves characters who have tried to make something similar to give to their hungover Woosters. Corpse Reviver #2 was included in Harry Craddock’s famous Savoy Cocktail book published 90 years ago. “To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed.” He advises. Gym sessions will never be the same again.
But before you get too carried away, he also states that “Four of these taken in swift succession will quickly unrevive the corpse again.” There, that makes sense. Gym sessions cancelled.
Here is the recipe, as laid out in the Savoy Cocktail book. Just make sure you don’t choose too big a glass as this will knock your socks off. Did I enjoy it? Yes, delicious. Would I make it again? Of course, for how on earth will I get through all that absinthe and cherries?
The Recipe - From the Savoy Cocktail Book.
What You Will Need
¼ wineglass Old Tom gin
¼ wineglass Cointreau
¼ wineglass Lillet Blanc
¼ wineglass fresh lemon juice
An absinthe for the rinse
Garnish with a Maraschino cherry
Method
Add all ingredients into a shaker except for the cherry.
Shake with ice.
Rinse your chilled cocktail glass with 3 drops of absinthe.
Discard any excess absinthe.
Strain your shaker into the cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cherry.
Enjoy!