The Holiday Gift That Keeps On Giving

Over the holiday I received a copy of The PDT Cocktail Book, a great collection of unique and fun recipes. Last Friday night we played a game of cocktail roulette by opening the book to two random pages and making the drink on those pages.  If those two cocktails are a general reflection of the drink recipes throughout the book we are going to have a great time making our way through it.

Fate or karma decided that the first cocktail we were to try would be The Edgewood. 

This drink combines Gin (I prefer Plymoth), grapefruit juice, Punt e Mes and Lillet Blanc, shaken over ice, served up and garnished with a pinch of kosher salt.  Lillet and grapefruit juice is such a great flavor combination its no surprise to see them again. (For another great drink featuring Lillet and grapefruit juice see my recipe for the French Blond)

As luck would have it, the second cocktail ended up being the Corpse Reviver 2; another cocktail with Lillet. What luck!  Equal parts Gin, Cointreau, Lillet and lemon juice, shaken and served up in an Absinthe washed glass.

This drink comes with a history:  At one time there was an entire family of Corps Reviver cocktails originally intended as a cure for a hangover.  All but the original Cognac based Corpse Reviver and gin based Corpse Reviver #2 have been lost to time.   The only reason why these two cocktails are still around is due entirely to the efforts of  prohibition era bartender Harry Craddock.  Craddock was the chief barman at London's Savoy Hotel and is responsible for penning The Savoy Cocktail Book.  Both of the Corpse Reviver recipes are in this book.

^]