Empress Corpse Reviver No. 2

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Cocktail History

The Empress Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a Halloween cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, as a spooky season-inspired variation of the classic Corpse Reviver No. 2. It’s essentially the same recipe made with gin, citrus, Lillet Blanc, and absinthe, but it calls for Victoria Distillers Empress 1908 Gin to give it a unique purple color thanks to its special ingredient—butterfly pea blossom.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Butterfly Pea Blossom Gin: This is a purple gin made with butterfly pea blossom, I used Victoria Distillers Empress 1908 Gin.

Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. I used Cointreau.

Lillet Blanc: This is an aromatized wine liqueur made in France with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes, citrus, florals, honey, baking spices, and water.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Absinthe: This is a spirit made with anise, wormwood, fennel, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Great Lakes Distillery Amerique 1912 Absinthe Verte.

Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Atomizer: This is use to rinse the glass with an ingredient. I used the True Martini Atomizer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale purple color

• Aroma: Absinthe and citrus

• Taste: Botanical gin flavor followed by sour citrus

• Finish: Herbaceous Lillet Blanc and light absinthe

Kendall’s Take: “Even though I’m not absinthe’s biggest fan, I have to say this cocktail is as easy on the palate as it is the eyes. Definitely give the Empress Corpse Reviver No. 2 a try with the butterfly pea blossom gin if you have some on the shelf, but be careful because, as Harry Craddock once said, ‘Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.'”

Recipe