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Bootlegger · 1930 · London

Corpse Reviver No. 2.

Harry Craddock wrote in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930): "To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed. Four of these.

Spirit
London Dry gin
Glass
Coupe
ABV
~29%
Prep
3 min
Era
Bootlegger
Quick answer

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a bootlegger cocktail from London, 1930. Built on london dry gin, served in a coupe, around 29% ABV. Harry Craddock wrote in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930): "To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed.

Ingredients

What goes in a Corpse Reviver No. 2?

Method

How do you make a Corpse Reviver No. 2?

  1. Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe. Discard the excess.
  2. Add the gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and lemon to a shaker with ice.
  3. Shake until very cold.
  4. Double-strain into the prepared coupe.
  5. Express a lemon twist over the surface.
Pair it with dinner Sunday eggs benedict or smoked-salmon brunch. Resurrects whoever's having brunch.
Bartender's notes

What should you know before making a Corpse Reviver No. 2?

History

Where did the Corpse Reviver No. 2 come from?

Harry Craddock wrote in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930): "To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed. Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again." The hangover cure that became a brunch drink. Equal parts of four ingredients makes it impossible to forget. The 'No. 2' refers to it being the second of two Corpse Revivers in Craddock's book; No. 1 has cognac and Calvados.

According to Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930).

Variations

What cocktails are similar to a Corpse Reviver No. 2?

Corpse Reviver No. 1
Cognac, apple brandy, sweet vermouth. A heavier, browner cocktail also from Craddock's 1930 book.
Corpse Reviver Blue
Replace Cointreau with blue curaçao for color. A 2010s tiki-bar invention, not historical.
FAQ

Common questions.

What is a Corpse Reviver No. 2?

A 1930 cocktail from the Savoy Hotel in London. Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and fresh lemon juice, with an absinthe rinse on the glass.

Is Corpse Reviver a hangover cure?

Harry Craddock claimed so in 1930. Modern medicine disagrees. The cocktail tastes spectacular at brunch regardless.

What's the difference between Corpse Reviver No. 1 and No. 2?

No. 1 is brown spirits (cognac, Calvados, sweet vermouth). No. 2 is gin-based with citrus and absinthe. The two share a name and a job description but nothing else.

What can I substitute for Lillet Blanc in a Corpse Reviver?

Cocchi Americano is the closest modern equivalent. It has the bitter quinine note that Lillet Blanc dropped from its formula in 1986. With Cocchi the drink tastes like Craddock's original.

Kyle Schulgen Founder, Speakeater
Builder of Speakeater, the cooking app for people tired of asking what's for dinner. Hand-transcribes pre-Prohibition cocktail manuscripts as a hobby, ships them in the app's cellar.
Last updated: 2026-05-02

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