Corpse Reviver #1

They share a name and very little else. The No. 2 is gin, Lillet, orange liqueur and lemon over an absinthe rinse, pale and bracing. This one is brown spirit and vermouth throughout, sweeter in body and closer in weight to a Manhattan than to anything citric.

Calvados runs drier and more orchard-funky, which keeps the drink lean. Bonded applejack at 50% pushes it hotter and sweeter at the same time. Older books allow either, so both are defensible. Start with Calvados if you want the cognac to stay in charge.

More than anything else in the glass, since it's a quarter of the drink. Carpano Antica sends vanilla into the apple, while Punt e Mes adds a bitter spine that suits cognac. Whichever bottle you pick, keep it refrigerated and finish it inside a month.

Craddock's own instruction was before eleven in the morning, which tells you it was aimed at the previous night rather than the coming evening. In practice it works better after dinner. It's spirit the whole way down, so treat it as a nightcap and stop at one.

A classic Corpse Reviver #1 calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Cognac, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Apple brandy, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Sweet vermouth. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Corpse Reviver #1 is roughly 35% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

A Corpse Reviver #1 is shaken. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.