Name: Corpse Reviver no. 2
Ingredients: 3/4 oz Big Gin - London Dry Gin; 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc - Aperitif Wine; 3/4 oz Triple Sec; 3/4 oz Lemon Juice; 1 Barspoon Lucid Absinthe Supérieure (or "one dash" as Harry Craddock put it)

This week’s cocktail post is sponsored by Lucid Absinthe Superiure and Big Gin.

Lucid Absinthe prides itself on being as historically similar to pre-prohibition absinthes as possible. And Big Gin is all about the Juniper. So putting these spirits together in a pre-prohibition cocktail like the Corpse Reviver no.2 seemed like a no brainer!

Thanks again to Lucid Absinthe and Big Gin for supporting A Bar Above!

A Celebration is in Order

Earlier this month marked the 10 year anniversary of the repeal of the ban on the sale of absinthe in the USA. (Lucid celebrated with a live Q&A on their Facebook page featuring Lucid’s distiller T.A. Breaux and Brand Master Milo Rodriguez.)

If you were looking for your own way to celebrate, this cocktail is a perfect excuse. After all, it is simply impossible to create correctly without that innocuous looking “dash” of absinthe!

The Corpse Reviver Family

While this cocktail’s name makes it sound like a dive bar special, it is anything but. Part of a mostly forgotten line of “hair of the dog” cocktails, the recipe for Corpse Reviver no. 2 was preserved thanks to Harry Craddock including it in the Savoy cocktail book. (Corpse Reviver no. 1 is in there as well, but it’s gained nowhere near the notoriety as no. 2)

Not only is this drink a time capsule back to Craddock’s day, but it’s also downright delicious. Beautifully balanced flavors create a drink that is both complex and easy to drink.

Tried and True

Where many drink recipes are fairly forgiving of slight recipe changes, this one is not. The ratios are perfectly balanced, and the slightest change would easily be enough to throw it out of balance.

You may love absinthe, but don’t be tempted to increase its presence in this drink – one barspoon (and absolutely no more than 1/4 oz) is more than enough to add that beautiful hint of anise, without overwhelming the drink completely. Trust me on this one, the recipe is perfect just the way it is.