Mezcal Corpse Reviver

By Robert Simonson

Updated June 9, 2024

  • Ian Patterson for The New York Times
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Rating
4(72)
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Charles Cerankosky, a Rochester bar owner, has fielded plenty of creative orders in his day. One of the most unusual requests was to use mezcal instead of gin in a Corpse Reviver, a sour that dates back a century. This twist is not a natural fit, so Mr. Cerankosky replaced the usual lemon juice with a mix of lime and grapefruit juice to better complement the mezcal. With all that’s going on in this drink, the mezcal almost gets lost, if that’s possible. Still, its smokiness lingers in the back, and the panoply of flavors is intriguing enough to lure you back for another sip.

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink

  • 1 ounce Cocchi Americano

  • ¾ ounce mezcal, preferably El Buho

  • ¾ ounce Curaçao, preferably Pierre Ferrand Dry 

  • ¼ ounce lime juice

  • ½ ounce grapefruit juice

  • 1 bar spoon absinthe for rinse, preferably St. George Absinthe Verte

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine mezcal, Cocchi Americano, Curaçao and the 2 juices. Shake until chilled, about 30 seconds. Coat the inside of a chilled coupe glass with the absinthe. Pour out any excess absinthe. Strain contents of the mixing glass into the coupe.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
72 user ratings
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Comments

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AVW

4 stars? I’ve made no fewer than 100 different cocktails (don’t judge) in my lifetime, and, for me, this is as close to the perfect cocktail as it gets.

e

Made w Cointreau and no absinthe. Don’t know if taste came out like recipe intended but still tasted delicious, like a boozy craft cocktail ordered out.

Jonathan

Tastes like a $25 fancy hotel craft cocktail. Excellent!

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