Corpse Reviver No. 2 — tasting notes & food pairings

Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a gin sour of the daisy family, built from equal parts gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc and fresh lemon juice over a whisper of absinthe, shaken hard and strained ice-cold into a stemmed cocktail glass. It is pale and deceptively gentle — bright, tart and aromatic, with a fennel breath of anise rising over the citrus — and one of the most celebrated "morning-after" pick-me-ups of the early twentieth century. Made famous by Harry Craddock and The Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930, it is the best-known of a whole family of restorative cocktails named, only half in jest, for their power to wake the dead.

Crisp & tart21% ABV

A pale gold shaken sour of roughly 20 to 24 percent alcohol, tart-led and bright with fresh lemon, lifted by sweet orange liqueur and carried by dry, juniper-led gin. A whisper of absinthe gives an unmistakable anise and wormwood breath over the top, while the Lillet Blanc rounds and softens the whole with a faint bitter-wine note. The drink is crisp, aromatic and citrus-forward, finishing dry and fragrant on anise and orange oils rather than sweet — easy enough that its restorative reputation is only half a joke.