The POTUS May Be Half Dead, but You Don’t Have to Be with the Corpse Reviver #2 Cocktail

Sunday Cocktail Corner is a series dedicated to finding just the right libation for the situation.

Today, Donald John Trump becomes an octogenarian. If he wasn’t a billionaire, the chief executive of the United States, and one of the most powerful individuals in the world, his family would probably be in the midst of discussions on how to break it to him that they were confiscating his car keys for his own good, in light of his clear cognitive decline. But instead, his clout as a member of America’s doddering gerontocracy will likely only become that much more pronounced, even as he slips deeper and deeper into illegibility. The nation will celebrate today in the only way it knows how: By having large, ill-formed men bludgeon each other with their fists and feet on the lawn of the White House, in a hastily constructed (but very patriotic) UFC event that is projected to lose $30 million for its parent organization, but was nonetheless described by Trump as being equal to the Eiffel Tower in its aesthetic achievement. Oh, and it’s supposed to thunderstorm, too.

Not that Trump is likely to be awake for much of it, given that his most consistent public habit has become to nod off in the midst of otherwise loud and exciting events. It hasn’t mattered if it’s a press conference, a cabinet meeting, or an NBA Finals contest where tens of thousands of fans are losing their minds; Trump just can’t seem to get enough naptime as of late. Perhaps with his approval ratings in the absolute shitter, it’s just easier to escape into the comforting embrace of dreams, where he can no doubt romp with long-lost friends like Jeffrey Epstein. Regardless, as he turns 80, Trump is clearly moving into his Warhammer 40,000 God Emperor of Mankind era, in the sense that he’s typically an immobile, mostly dead body in a chair that can occasionally whisper a command to an underling.

Scenes from the UFC cage outside of the White House taken today:

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— Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) 10:30 AM · Jun 11, 2026

But just because the President of the United States of America is half (or more than half) corpse, that doesn’t mean you have to be. In fact, there’s a drink famously meant to reverse just such a scenario: The well-loved Corpse Reviver #2. A staple of upscale brunches that works just as well as an opener or closer to one’s evening, it’s a classically balanced “up drink” cocktail that manages to be both refreshing and potent all at once. As its name would imply, it is part of a family of cocktails designed to be “hair of the dog,” and works particularly well as its balance tends to obfuscate just how strong the drink remains. As noted in the classic 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, one of the holy grail tomes of cocktail lore, one needs to be careful with this particular drink, as “four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”

As the name would probably imply, though, the Corpse Reviver #2 is not actually the only drink to bear this name. A Corpse Reviver #1 does indeed exist, but frankly … it just isn’t all that interesting a drink! It’s typically made with cognac, apple brandy and sweet vermouth, rendering something that is perhaps vaguely Manhattan-like, but not really distinct enough that you’ll find it on many menus. The #2 is considerably more interesting, both for its brightness and status as a sour (from lemon juice), and the subtle kiss of anise it employs from absinthe, much like last week’s Billionaire Cocktail. As I said then: Everyone should have a bottle of absinthe in their spirits collection/bar cart, because it will last for years in these types of cocktails. Like other popular throwback cocktails such as the Last Word, it employs an “equal parts” ratio in its recipe.

Corpse Reviver #2 Recipe

— .75 oz gin
— .75 oz lemon juice
— .75 oz orange liqueur (traditionally a clear triple sec like Cointreau)
— .75 oz Lillet Blanc (or a blanc vermouth)
— absinthe, to rinse

Combine all ingredients except the absinthe in a cocktail shaker/mixing tin. Fill with ice and shake well. Before straining, rinse your cocktail glass of choice with a small amount of absinthe and discard. Strain into glass, and garnish with a twist of expressed lemon peel.

That said, not everyone makes the Corpse Reviver #2 in exactly the same way. Some prefer to simply add a bar spoon or so of absinthe directly to the recipe, rather than bothering with the rinse–this will yield a more distinct anise flavor and herbal bitterness, whereas the rinse is quite subtle and mostly shows up on the nose. Likewise, although Lillet Blanc is often cited as the traditional aromatized wine option here, many bartenders favor Cocchi Americano, which they say is closer to the original Kina Lillet spirit that the drink was first made with. In comparison with Lillet Blanc, Cocchi Americano is significantly more punchy, herbal and bitter as well, which yields a more complex but less rounded drink. Like so many things, it’s a matter of taste.

These are the kinds of subtleties we can appreciate as drinkers when we are not, in fact, half dead, like the 80-year-old President who will be wheeled out onto the White House lawn tonight to watch the big, strong men give each other head injuries. Who will ultimately be left with more functioning brain cells: The fighter waking up on the mat after a knockout, or the POTUS in the stands? Excessive consumption of the Corpse Reviver #2 might reduce your standing in that capacity a bit as well, but I’m confident you’ll still find yourself besting the comparison point at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.