The Corpse Reviver #1
The Corpse Reviver No 2 is definitely what I would reach for the morning after the night before, but I can see the Corpse Reviver No 1 coming in to it’s own to revive you from a food coma after a big meal! Brandy and Calvados have long been regarded as sophisticated digestifs, and mixing them with the stomach-soothing properties of vermouth makes a smooth and rich sipper.
Ingredients
45ml (1 & 1/2oz) brandy
20ml (2/3oz) apple brandy
20ml (2/3oz) sweet vermouth
Orange zest to garnish
Good ice
Equipment
A coupe glass
A mixing glass
A jigger
A barspoon
A julep strainer
Method
Prep your twist.
Add brandy, apple brandy and sweet vermouth to the glass, fill with as much ice as possible and stir until desired dilution.
Strain into coupe glass, fold the orange twist to expel the citrus oil over the drink then add the twist to the glass. Enjoy!
Suggested Spirits
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Cognac has historically been seen as the benchmark region for these spirits. There are also plenty of interesting brandies coming out of different wine producing regions now, for instance there are a few great ones coming out of Tasmania here in Australia. I’m using Hennessy as I reckon you get great flavour value for the price point. The VSOP stands for Very Special Old Pale, which means the brandy has been aged for at least four years, whereas VS stands for Very Special and only has to be 2 years old. You could definitely use a VS from a good quality producer, the end result will just be a little less rich.
Calvados (apple brandy) is produced by distilling apple cider, and like with Cognac, there is a Calvados region of France which has long been producing this style of eau-de-vie. I love Lobo from South Australia, it has a great spice to it, but basically any Calvados or apple brandy you can get your hands on will add the fruity warmth you’re looking for here!
Harry Craddock’s Corpse Reviver No 1 recipe called for Martini Rosso and that would certainly work well here. I’ve decided to use Casa Mariol Negre, a Spanish vermouth, it’s a little more savoury, and has a lovely nuttiness coming from walnuts that I think goes really well with the fruity notes from the other ingredients.