I missed derby last night. One of the girls goes by ‘Reanimate-Her’. (Clever, but I prefer ‘Jalapeno Business’ in the bad name department.) Anyway, she’s a joy to watch. Slides like mercury between ‘Clam Slammer’ and ‘Muffstache’. That sounds ruder than I thought it would.
To make up for missing our homegirls, here’s one of my favorite classic cocktails.
Corpse Reviver #2
.75 oz gin
.75 oz Cointreau
.75 oz Lillet Blanc
.75 oz lemon
Dash absinthe
Cherry
Combine everything except the cherry and shake hard enough to raise the dead. Strain into a frosty cocktail glass. Drop the cherry in and watch it drown. Laugh maniacally. It tastes better that way.
So you’re asking now, if you’re still reading, why is it called a Corpse Reviver? Apparently, this one (and its cousin, the Corpse Reviver #1) were considered good ‘hair of the dog’ drinks. You know. That whole ‘cure your hangover by drinking more’ solution. (That does, apparently, work, but personally, the last thing I want to look at if I’m feeling delicate is more liquor.)
Don’t have everything you need to make this one? It’s worth a trip to the liquor store – the cocktail is THAT good – but if you have the gin, it shouldn’t cost you very much. A bottle of Lillet Blanc will run you about $20. Better yet, get yourself some Cocchi Americano for about the same price and substitute that. Both can be consumed on their own as apertif wines. Because, um, that’s what they are. Cocchi Americano is particularly yummy, with a slight bitter edge. And by the way, it’s pronounced COKE-ee. Learned that after embarrassing myself several times.
About absinthe: a lot of cocktails will call for a dash of this. A decent bottle of absinthe will set you back at least $50, so if you’re just looking to add a bit to your drinks, you’ll be stuck with a big bottle of expensive that lasts 10 years. You can substitute Herbsaint or a pastis for it; they’re a bit cheaper. It’s a shame to leave it out – really ties the drink together – but it’s still a decent sip without it.