The corpse reviver family of named cocktails are sometimes drunk as alcoholic hangover tongue-in-cheek "cures", of potency or characteristics to be able to revive even a dead person. Some corpse reviver cocktail recipes have been lost to time,[1] but several variations commonly thought to be tied to the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel remain, especially those espoused by Harry Craddock that originally date back to at least 1930[2] and are still being made.[3] Many "reviver" variations exist and the word is sometimes used as a generic moniker for any morning-after cocktail, also known as a "hair of the dog".
The use of the words "corpse reviver" to describe a mixed drink appears in literature as early as an issue of Punch in 1861.[4] A recipe appeared in the Gentleman's Table Guide in 1871 that called for 1/2 a wine glass of brandy, 1/2 a wine glass of Maraschino, and two dashes of Boker's bitters.[5] A recipe for a cocktail called the Criterion Reviver appeared in 1875 in Leo Engel's American and Other Drinks bar guide.[6] Another recipe from 1903 for a Corpse Reviver made it as a fancy pousse-café.[7]
The first widely popularized corpse reviver cocktail is listed in The Savoy Cocktail Book and is a cognac-based cocktail that calls for two parts cognac, one part Calvados or apple brandy, and one part Italian vermouth. In bartender Craddock's notes he says "To be taken before 11AM, or whenever steam or energy is needed".[9]
Bartender Victor Bergeron (AKA Trader Vic) lists the corpse reviver #1 with the same ingredients and calls for twisting a lemon peel over the drink.[10]
The 1956 edition of The Official Mixers Manual by Patrick Gavin Duffy lists the same ingredients.
The corpse reviver #2 as described in the Savoy Cocktail Book is the most commonly drunk of the corpse revivers, and consists of equal parts gin, lemon juice, curaçao (commonly Cointreau), Kina Lillet (now usually replaced with Cocchi Americano, as a closer match to Kina Lillet than modern Lillet Blanc), and a dash of absinthe. The dash of absinthe can either be added to the mix before shaking, or added to the cocktail glass and moved around until the glass has been coated with a layer of absinthe to give a subtle absinthe aroma and flavor to the drink.[11][12]
The Savoy №2 recipe noted that “Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”[13]
Both the original and the revised Trader Vic's Bartenders Guide lists the corpse reviver #2 the same as the Savoy, but substitutes Swedish Punsch for the Kina Lillet.[14][15] In his notes he indicates that Kina Lillet may be substituted for the Swedish punsch, so he was likely aware of the Savoy version in both of his editions. In Patrick Duffy's 1956 Official Mixers Manual he lists the corpse reviver #2 as employing punsch and does not mention Lillet.[16][17] The use of punsch can also be found in Crosby Gaige's Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion.[18][19]
In the 21st century punsch is less likely to be stocked in most bars, and so a corpse reviver #2 made with punsch is sometimes differentiated by referencing it as a corpse reviver #2A,[20][21][22] even though it will remain listed in some historical cocktail books as only the №2 or as a №2 with annotations.[23]
A corpse reviver with punsch is also sometimes referenced as a corpse reviver #3,[24][25] but other guides use the №3 to instead mean a later Savoy version[26] that uses Fernet-Branca. When differentiated, the №2A nomenclature is more frequently used.
Shake ingredients together with ice, and strain into a glass.
This recipe was a new variation at the Savoy's American Bar that employed Fernet-Branca as an ingredient, coming almost two decades after the corpse reviver appeared in the Savoy Cocktail Book with its #1 and #2 variations. Salvatore Calabrese states in his book Classic Cocktails that it was created by Johnny Johnson of the Savoy circa 1948, and lists it as a corpse reviver #3. Others believe it was invented later in 1954 by Joe Gilmore, also of the Savoy.[27]
Besides Calabrese, the Fernet version is sometimes categorized by others as the corpse reviver #3,[28][29] but it is not standardized and it is sometimes referenced as the №4.[30]
Criterion reviver
Leo Engel's 1875 reviver cocktail, the criterion reviver, used an early version of bottled mineral water and carbonic acid to make a medicinal "encore" cocktail that included the directions to "drink while effervescing".[6] Engel served the reviver cocktail while a bartender at the Criterion Hotel'sAmerican Bar, which some view as the first American-style cocktail bar in London.[31][32] The drink called for:
a bottle of Taunus water (naturally sparkling mineral water from the Grosskarben springs near Frankfurt)
glass and a half of Encore Whiskey (defunct brand)
dash of brandy bitters
Cafe Royal revivers
The 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, by W.J. Tarling, listed four different reviver cocktails. These included a corpse reviver that called for a glass filled with brandy, orange juice, and lemon juice, topped off with champagne, as well as recipes for a new corpse reviver, a stomach reviver, and Godfrey's corpse reviver (attributed to Godfrey Baldini). The index indicated that the book did not have enough space for two other reviver cocktails to be fully listed, including one called a Corpse Reviver Liqueur.[33]
In popular culture
In "The Handoff", the second episode of the seventh season of Archer, Veronica Deane orders a corpse reviver #2, but only if real absinthe is available.
In Patrick deWitt's novel French Exit, the main characters each drink a corpse reviver #2 prior to performing a séance.
In Damien Chazelle's 2022 film Babylon, Jack Conrad orders a corpse reviver then proceeds to give instructions on how to make one.
References
^. kindredcocktails.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
^The Corpse Reviver family of cocktails » Cocktail adventures at Oh Gosh!
^Lemon, Mark; Mayhew, Henry; Taylor, Tom; Brooks, Shirley; Burnand, Francis Cowley; Seaman, Owen (21 Dec 1861). "A Smash for a Sensationist". Punch. 41: 247.
^Ricket, E.; Thomas, C. (1871). "Gentleman's Table Guide". googlebooks.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
^ abEngel, Leo (1875). American & Other Drinks. London: Crerar & Smith. p. 70.
^Whitehead, Jessup Whitehead (1903). The steward's handbook and guide to party catering. J. Whitehead & Co. p. 305.
^Craddock, Harry (1930). The Savoy Cocktail Book. London: Constable & Company Ltd. p. 51.
^Craddock, Harry (1934). Savoy Cocktail Book. p. 51.
^Vic, Trader (1947). Bartender's Guide. New York: Garden City Books. p. 69.
^ Duffy, Gavin: Official Mixer’s Manual. Garden City Books, revised and enlarged by James A. Beard, New York (1956), Page 40.
^"Corpse Reviver Cocktails – Recipes and History". diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^Gaige, Crosby (1941). Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion. New York: Fireside Pres. p. 98.
^"Corpse Reviver". cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"Ode To Corpse Reviver: Corpse Reviver 2A". cocktailquest.blogspot.com. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"Corpse Reviver 2a". twoatthemost.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^. barnotes.co. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"Corpse Reviver #2 (Duffy)". diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"Corpse Reviver #3". absolut.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^. drinkoftheweek.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^Calabrese, Salvator (1997). Classic Cocktails. New York: Sterling. p. 102. ISBN9780806905075.
^"Savoy Corpse Reviver". lostsaloon.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"The Corpse Revier Number 3". thruthemixingglass.com. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"Corpse reviver #3 recipe". drinksmixer.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^"Corpse Reviver". spruceeats.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^Tarling, W.J. Cafe Royal Cocktail Book (Coronation ed.). London: Pall Mall Ltd. p. preface.
^"The Return of the Cocktail". www.independent.co.uk. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
^Tarling, W.J. Cafe Royal Cocktail Book (Coronation ed.). London: Pall Mall Ltd. p. preface.
External links
Media related to Corpse reviver at Wikimedia Commons
July 18, 2023
corpse, reviver, corpse, reviver, family, named, cocktails, sometimes, drunk, alcoholic, hangover, tongue, cheek, cures, potency, characteristics, able, revive, even, dead, person, some, corpse, reviver, cocktail, recipes, have, been, lost, time, several, vari. The corpse reviver family of named cocktails are sometimes drunk as alcoholic hangover tongue in cheek cures of potency or characteristics to be able to revive even a dead person Some corpse reviver cocktail recipes have been lost to time 1 but several variations commonly thought to be tied to the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel remain especially those espoused by Harry Craddock that originally date back to at least 1930 2 and are still being made 3 Many reviver variations exist and the word is sometimes used as a generic moniker for any morning after cocktail also known as a hair of the dog Contents 1 History 2 Corpse reviver 1 3 Corpse reviver 2 and 2A 4 Savoy corpse reviver Fernet 5 Criterion reviver 6 Cafe Royal revivers 7 In popular culture 8 References 9 External linksHistory EditThe use of the words corpse reviver to describe a mixed drink appears in literature as early as an issue of Punch in 1861 4 A recipe appeared in the Gentleman s Table Guide in 1871 that called for 1 2 a wine glass of brandy 1 2 a wine glass of Maraschino and two dashes of Boker s bitters 5 A recipe for a cocktail called the Criterion Reviver appeared in 1875 in Leo Engel s American and Other Drinks bar guide 6 Another recipe from 1903 for a Corpse Reviver made it as a fancy pousse cafe 7 Corpse reviver 1 EditCorpse reviver 1CocktailTypeCocktailBase spiritCognacServedStraight up chilled without iceStandard drinkware Cocktail glassCommonly used ingredients2 parts cognac 1 part apple brandy or Calvados 1 part sweet vermouthPreparationShake well and strain into cocktail glass 8 The first widely popularized corpse reviver cocktail is listed in The Savoy Cocktail Book and is a cognac based cocktail that calls for two parts cognac one part Calvados or apple brandy and one part Italian vermouth In bartender Craddock s notes he says To be taken before 11AM or whenever steam or energy is needed 9 Bartender Victor Bergeron AKA Trader Vic lists the corpse reviver 1 with the same ingredients and calls for twisting a lemon peel over the drink 10 The 1956 edition of The Official Mixers Manual by Patrick Gavin Duffy lists the same ingredients Corpse reviver 2 and 2A EditCorpse reviver 2IBA official cocktail A corpse reviver 2TypeCocktailBase spiritGin Orange flavored liqueurServedStraight up chilled without iceStandard drinkware Cocktail glassIBA specifiedingredients 3 cl gin 3 cl lemon juice 3 cl Cointreau 3 cl Lillet Blanc 1 dash absinthePreparationShake ingredients together in a mixer with ice Strain into chilled glass Garnish with orange zest Corpse reviver 2 recipe at International Bartenders AssociationThe corpse reviver 2 as described in the Savoy Cocktail Book is the most commonly drunk of the corpse revivers and consists of equal parts gin lemon juice curacao commonly Cointreau Kina Lillet now usually replaced with Cocchi Americano as a closer match to Kina Lillet than modern Lillet Blanc and a dash of absinthe The dash of absinthe can either be added to the mix before shaking or added to the cocktail glass and moved around until the glass has been coated with a layer of absinthe to give a subtle absinthe aroma and flavor to the drink 11 12 The Savoy 2 recipe noted that Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again 13 Both the original and the revised Trader Vic s Bartenders Guide lists the corpse reviver 2 the same as the Savoy but substitutes Swedish Punsch for the Kina Lillet 14 15 In his notes he indicates that Kina Lillet may be substituted for the Swedish punsch so he was likely aware of the Savoy version in both of his editions In Patrick Duffy s 1956 Official Mixers Manual he lists the corpse reviver 2 as employing punsch and does not mention Lillet 16 17 The use of punsch can also be found in Crosby Gaige s Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion 18 19 In the 21st century punsch is less likely to be stocked in most bars and so a corpse reviver 2 made with punsch is sometimes differentiated by referencing it as a corpse reviver 2A 20 21 22 even though it will remain listed in some historical cocktail books as only the 2 or as a 2 with annotations 23 A corpse reviver with punsch is also sometimes referenced as a corpse reviver 3 24 25 but other guides use the 3 to instead mean a later Savoy version 26 that uses Fernet Branca When differentiated the 2A nomenclature is more frequently used Savoy corpse reviver Fernet EditSavoy corpse reviverCocktailTypeCocktailBase spiritBrandyServedStraight up chilled without iceStandard drinkware Cocktail glassCommonly used ingredients1 part Brandy 1 part Fernet Branca 1 part White Creme de menthePreparationShake ingredients together with ice and strain into a glass This recipe was a new variation at the Savoy s American Bar that employed Fernet Branca as an ingredient coming almost two decades after the corpse reviver appeared in the Savoy Cocktail Book with its 1 and 2 variations Salvatore Calabrese states in his book Classic Cocktails that it was created by Johnny Johnson of the Savoy circa 1948 and lists it as a corpse reviver 3 Others believe it was invented later in 1954 by Joe Gilmore also of the Savoy 27 Besides Calabrese the Fernet version is sometimes categorized by others as the corpse reviver 3 28 29 but it is not standardized and it is sometimes referenced as the 4 30 Criterion reviver EditLeo Engel s 1875 reviver cocktail the criterion reviver used an early version of bottled mineral water and carbonic acid to make a medicinal encore cocktail that included the directions to drink while effervescing 6 Engel served the reviver cocktail while a bartender at the Criterion Hotel s American Bar which some view as the first American style cocktail bar in London 31 32 The drink called for a bottle of Taunus water naturally sparkling mineral water from the Grosskarben springs near Frankfurt glass and a half of Encore Whiskey defunct brand dash of brandy bittersCafe Royal revivers EditThe 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book by W J Tarling listed four different reviver cocktails These included a corpse reviver that called for a glass filled with brandy orange juice and lemon juice topped off with champagne as well as recipes for a new corpse reviver a stomach reviver and Godfrey s corpse reviver attributed to Godfrey Baldini The index indicated that the book did not have enough space for two other reviver cocktails to be fully listed including one called a Corpse Reviver Liqueur 33 In popular culture EditIn The Handoff the second episode of the seventh season of Archer Veronica Deane orders a corpse reviver 2 but only if real absinthe is available In Patrick deWitt s novel French Exit the main characters each drink a corpse reviver 2 prior to performing a seance In Damien Chazelle s 2022 film Babylon Jack Conrad orders a corpse reviver then proceeds to give instructions on how to make one References Edit A short history of the corpse reviver kindredcocktails com Archived from the original on 19 January 2021 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess Small Screen Network Archived from the original on 2011 07 16 Retrieved 2011 08 07 The Corpse Reviver family of cocktails Cocktail adventures at Oh Gosh Lemon Mark Mayhew Henry Taylor Tom Brooks Shirley Burnand Francis Cowley Seaman Owen 21 Dec 1861 A Smash for a Sensationist Punch 41 247 Ricket E Thomas C 1871 Gentleman s Table Guide googlebooks com Retrieved 6 February 2019 a b Engel Leo 1875 American amp Other Drinks London Crerar amp Smith p 70 Whitehead Jessup Whitehead 1903 The steward s handbook and guide to party catering J Whitehead amp Co p 305 Craddock Harry 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book London Constable amp Company Ltd p 51 Craddock Harry 1934 Savoy Cocktail Book p 51 Vic Trader 1947 Bartender s Guide New York Garden City Books p 69 Absinthe is back at the bar Metromix Nashville Corpse Reviver The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess Small Screen Network Archived from the original on 2011 07 16 Retrieved 2011 08 07 In Search of the Ultimate Corpse Reviver punchdrink com Retrieved 2 February 2019 Vic Trader 1947 Bartender s Guide New York Garden City Books p 116 Vic Trader 1972 Trader Vic s Bartenders Guide Revised revised ed Garden City NY Doubleday publisher Duffy Gavin Official Mixer s Manual Garden City Books revised and enlarged by James A Beard New York 1956 Page 40 Corpse Reviver Cocktails Recipes and History diffordsguide com Retrieved 1 February 2019 Gaige Crosby 1941 Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion New York Fireside Pres p 98 Corpse Reviver cocktailvirgin blogspot com 21 January 2016 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Ode To Corpse Reviver Corpse Reviver 2A cocktailquest blogspot com 2 June 2011 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver 2a twoatthemost com Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver 2A barnotes co Archived from the original on 16 July 2021 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver 2 Duffy diffordsguide com Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver 3 absolut com Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver drinkoftheweek com Archived from the original on 16 July 2021 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Calabrese Salvator 1997 Classic Cocktails New York Sterling p 102 ISBN 9780806905075 Savoy Corpse Reviver lostsaloon com Retrieved 1 February 2019 The Corpse Revier Number 3 thruthemixingglass com 9 February 2013 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse reviver 3 recipe drinksmixer com Retrieved 1 February 2019 Corpse Reviver spruceeats com Retrieved 1 February 2019 Tarling W J Cafe Royal Cocktail Book Coronation ed London Pall Mall Ltd p preface The Return of the Cocktail www independent co uk 23 October 2011 Retrieved 5 February 2019 Tarling W J Cafe Royal Cocktail Book Coronation ed London Pall Mall Ltd p preface External links Edit Media related to Corpse reviver at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Corpse reviver amp oldid 1151540282, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
