Corpse Reviver #2 — 'revival' cocktail literally has absinthe in it — and

The Corpse Reviver #2 literally has absinthe in it — and still somehow tastes alive. That’s the magic of extreme ingredients creating perfect balance.

Ingredients

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz Cointreau or triple sec
• 1 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• Absinthe (rinse)
• Garnish: a lemon twist

Method

Start by rinsing your coupe with absinthe — pour a small amount in, swirl it around to coat the entire inside surface, then dump out the excess. This gives you that licorice backbone without overpowering anything. Now grab your shaker and add the gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and fresh lemon juice with ice. Shake hard for 12 seconds — you want this cold and properly diluted since it’s all citrus and spirits with no sugar to soften the edges. Double strain into your absinthe-rinsed coupe. The double strain catches any lemon pulp and gives you a crystal-clear drink. You want it cold enough that the glass frosts immediately.

Serve

Serve this up in a coupe with no ice. Express a lemon twist over the surface to release those citrus oils, then drop it in.

Pro Tip

Make sure your Lillet Blanc is fresh and stored in the refrigerator. Lillet is a fortified wine, not a spirit, so it oxidizes once opened just like vermouth. A stale bottle will make this drink taste flat and medicinal instead of bright and complex. Fresh Lillet should taste like white wine with a subtle quinine bite.