Tracing the Origins of the Corpse Reviver #2 Cocktail

vintage cocktail book with corpse reviver recipe

Few cocktails carry a name as memorable as the Corpse Reviver #2—a drink shrouded in both wit and history. More than a quirky curiosity, it's a window into pre-Prohibition drinking culture, inventive bartending, and the rhythms of classic cocktail revival.

Early Mentions: Corpse Revivers in 19th Century Literature

The concept of a “corpse reviver” traces to the 1800s, appearing in bar manuals and periodicals as a tongue-in-cheek term for any bracing morning-after drink. These tonics, sometimes a punch and sometimes a strong cocktail, promised to lift spirits—literally reviving the “corpse” left by last night's overindulgence. But the exact formulation varied.

The earliest Corpse Reviver entries were not standardized recipes, but a category of pick-me-up drinks.
British and American bartenders alike used the term for powerful, aromatic concoctions—sometimes built with brandy, sometimes whisky, and later gin.

The Corpse Reviver #2: A Classic Defined in Print

The precise recipe recognized today as Corpse Reviver #2 first appeared in Harry Craddock’s 1930 "The Savoy Cocktail Book." Craddock, one of the most influential bartenders of the interwar period, codified a gin-based version that stands apart from earlier, brandy-led Corpse Revivers. His #2 formula is a rare harmony of London Dry gin, Cointreau or triple sec, Lillet (now usually Cocchi Americano), fresh lemon juice, and a touch of absinthe.

Craddock notes in his book: “Four of these taken in swift succession will revive the corpse again.”
The widespread adoption of this recipe owed much to its balance—brisk, citrusy, aromatic, and slightly bitter.

A Smithsonian-Worthy Recipe: Charm and Elegance

The Corpse Reviver #2 recipe curated by the Smithsonian’s National Museum reflects Craddock’s legacy while echoing cocktail history’s reverence for precision. The museum’s archival approach emphasizes the cocktail’s place in early 20th-century social culture: a liquid testament to both the art of hospitality and the evolution of taste.

30 ml London Dry gin
30 ml Cointreau (or other triple sec)
30 ml Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano)
30 ml fresh lemon juice
1 ml absinthe

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice.
Shake hard for 10 seconds until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
Garnish with a thin lemon twist.

corpse reviver 2 in coupe glass with lemon twist

Evolution and Resurgence: The Modern Corpse Reviver #2

After fading into obscurity around mid-century, the Corpse Reviver #2 was championed by classic cocktail enthusiasts during the craft cocktail revival of the early 21st century. Modern mixologists have fine-tuned the recipe, sometimes swapping Lillet for Cocchi Americano to resurrect the original’s bittersweet character, as today’s Lillet Blanc is less quinine-driven than its predecessor.

The Corpse Reviver #2 bridges old-school and new-school: its perfect symmetry of gin, citrus, aromatics, and a flash of absinthe captures classic bar technique and modern palate trends.
Its cult status owes much to its versatility—equally at home in pre-dinner service or as a bold brunch cocktail.

corpse reviver 2 cocktail on a modern marble bar

Cultural Significance: Satire, Mixology, and Ritual

Beyond its flavor, the Corpse Reviver #2 persists as a playful artifact of cocktail culture. Its satirical name, equal parts warning and invitation, captures an era that appreciated both excess and its antidote. The enduring charm lies not only in its tart, herbal complexity, but in the ritual of preparation—a nod to the golden age of bartending that valued storytelling and precision.