Corpse Reviver (Savoy recipe)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 24.8% ABV ∙
The Corpse Reviver (Savoy recipe) is a shaken brandy cocktail of Cognac, Fernet Branca and white crème de cacao, bittersweet with a hint of chocolate.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Cognac 30 mlFernet Branca liqueur 20 mlWhite Crème de Cacao 20 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a mint leaf
Tips
- Give it a hard 12-15 second shake with plenty of ice. Fernet Branca is bitter and resinous, and it needs that water to sit smoothly with the cognac and crème de cacao.
- Fernet Branca has far more flavor than the crème de cacao, though both are 20 ml. Measure it exactly; a heavy pour makes the drink taste medicinal.
History
The Corpse Reviver name for a restorative morning-after drink dates to at least 1861. Harry Craddock, head bartender at London's Savoy Hotel, printed the Corpse Reviver No. 1 and Corpse Reviver No. 2 in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.
The Corpse Reviver (Savoy recipe) came later at the same hotel and is built on Cognac and Fernet-Branca. It was historically finished with white crème de menthe rather than white crème de cacao. Accounts differ on its creator and date: London bartender and cocktail author Salvatore Calabrese credits Johnny Johnson of the Savoy with the drink around 1948, while others attribute it to Savoy bartender Joe Gilmore in 1954.
FAQ
What is in a Corpse Reviver (Savoy recipe)?
30 ml Cognac, 20 ml Fernet Branca, and 20 ml white crème de cacao, shaken and served up. Brandy and bitter Fernet, not gin or absinthe, set it apart from other Corpse Reviver variations.
Is a Corpse Reviver shaken or stirred?
Shaken, hard, for 12-15 seconds with plenty of ice. The extra dilution softens the bitter, resinous Fernet Branca so it doesn't swamp the Cognac and crème de cacao.
What glass is a Corpse Reviver served in?
A coupe glass, served up and garnished with a mint leaf.
How is this different from a Corpse Reviver No. 2?
The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a gin-and-absinthe sour with lemon. This Savoy recipe has no citrus at all: just Cognac, Fernet Branca, and crème de cacao. It is darker and bittersweet, closer to a digestif than the tart, lemony No. 2.
Is a Corpse Reviver vegan?
Yes, this recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since it uses Cognac, Fernet Branca, and crème de cacao with no dairy or animal-derived ingredients.
