Corpse Reviver No. 2

Chef notes

Sure, the name is wild, but that’s why it’s featured on a Halloween show. This drink traces all the way back to the pre-Prohibition era and the name came in reference to a “hair of the dog” hangover cure — or to rouse your hungover self back to life. But at Halloween time, it conjures the image of Victor Frankenstein bringing his creature back to life.

People often just call it a “Corpse Reviver” when ordering it, which is technically incorrect as there is another lesser known cocktail with that name. But much like when folks request Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” but actually mean “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2,” this drink has taken the name and ran with it. It is one of those classic four equal part shaken cocktails like the Paper Plane, Last Word, and Naked & Famous. It deviates a little bit with the absinthe spray in the glass, but for all intents and purposes, it’s an equal-measurement concoction.

Whenever I asked bar folks about what Halloween cocktails to present, this was the most cited choice due to the spooky season imagery in its title and its simplicity to make. Four equal ingredients (easy to batch because you can never mess it up as long as all the ingredients are the same volume), shake, spray some absinthe, done.

The cocktail is essentially a sour that can somehow please both the spirit-forward crowd and the folks who prefer the citrusy side of drinks. Classics become classics for a reason and this one is tried and true.

Technique tip: Remember that Lillet (or Cocchi Americano works in its stead) is a fortified wine. Therefore, it must be refrigerated after opening to avoid oxidation.