Recipe: Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Savoy Cocktail Book suggests that a Corpse Reviver No. 2 “be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed.” For us, it is usually a brunch cocktail, enjoyed in the morning (or afternoon depending on our “steam and energy”).

Small’s Gin

Small’s Gin imparts sweet scents of juniper, cardamom, orange and lemon peels with a slight alcohol burn. There’s also a hint of mineral character to the nose, which seems a bit unusual.

The Oregroni

We’re fortunate in Portland to be able to eat a very diverse and enjoyable 100-mile diet. That started me thinking about 100-mile cocktails, too. Now that we have numerous gins, an Italian-style amaro, and vermouth produced in the Portland Metro Area, here’s my 100-mile take on the classic Negroni, which despite likely, and deserved groaning, I will call the Oregroni, because all of the finished ingredients are produced in Oregon.

Old Tom Gin

This is very interesting stuff. There is a lingering maltiness to the taste. I can taste that this gin is made from barley, of all things. If it wasn’t for the botanicals, this could taste like a somewhat warm-on-the-throat whiskey. The flavor does get overpowered later on with an almost camphor-like mouth feel, but the malty citrus-cardamom flavors are maintained.

12 Bridges Gin

Initial taste is a touch minerally, with some citrus oil and juniper and some warming spice and salt to the taste. It is a bit astringent, but also has a sweetness to it as one of the first flavors that hits the mouth. Juniper and cardamom and oddly also some floral notes akin to rosewater follow.

New Amersterdam Gin

First taste is of orange peel and orange oil. It’s sweet almost to the point of candy and soft to the point of producing a soapy mouthfeel. There’s an overwhelming orange flavor, which builds on the palate to the point of tasting almost PEZ-like.

Tales of the Cocktail Small Batch Roundup

While big names like Diageo, Bacardi and Pernod seem to dominate Tales of the Cocktail, there are some small batch producers in the mix, too. Some nice stand-out spirits we tasted included the following.

Aviation Gin

Hmmm… An unusual nose for a gin. There’s an initial sweetness and citrus, with the scent of cardamom and a little nuttiness, as well. Little to none of the juniper note we commonly expect from a gin.

Hanky Panky – A Recipe for Seduction

We tried many different gin and vermouth pairings in our quest for a true cocktail of seduction.

Dry Fly Gin

Dry Fly is a nice, light gin. There’s a slight sweetness and flowery note to the nose, with traces of citrus and coriander and some other mineraly scent I can’t quite place.