The Corpse Reviver No. 2 belongs to a family of pre- Prohibition cocktails able to “rouse the drinker from the dead.” In other words: every bar had its version of a “reviver” drink, all meant to cure hangovers, increase vigor and otherwise improve one’s morning. This version comes from the classic Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which claimed that four of these taken in quick succession would reanimate the dead. I’ll have to get back to you on that, but in the meantime, enjoy. I used New Orleans’ anise-flavored liqueur Herbsaint in this drink for the first time I made it as I had a tough time tracking down a bottle of absinthe. The scent of anise here teases the senses as you sip from the glass. Heavenly!
What else would I make on Thanksgiving? This was an ideal pre-dinner aperitivo for our quarantine Thanksgiving feast for four. Who wouldn’t enjoy a French 75 built with cranberry syrup? Follow the berry syrup recipe on simmering until berries break open.
Here’s another Last Word varient, keeping the equal ratios and subbing tequila for gin. In a lot of ways, I find this an interesting improvement on the original where gin’s botanicals are replaced with the grassy and mineral notes of a great blanco tequila.
