Corpse Reviver No. 2, #2

Not too long ago, I discovered that such a thing as 'flaming cocktails' exists. Intrigued, I looked up all of the standard versions of these drinks only to find that they're all pretty much a combination of boiling water and Bacardi 151 - which to me, sounds more like lighter fluid than a cocktail. At the same time, I was really into the corpse reviver No. 2. Then it occurred to me - the corpse reviver's got a wash of absinthe - which is super high proof! Let me go grab a lighter and see what happens if I...

And while it might be a little gimmicky AND I know you're not supposed to serve a corpse reviver in a low ball glass, this (admittedly) blasphemous version of a corpse reviver is just too much fun to keep to myself.

Corpse Reviver No. 2 #2
1oz barrel aged gin (I like to use ethereal)
1oz cointreau
1oz lilet
1oz lemon juice
3/8 tsp absinthe

Combine gin, cointreau, lilet and lemon juice in a shaker and shake until very, very cold; meanwhile, coat a low ball glass with the absinthe. Ignite the absinthe using a kitchen torch or match and after a few seconds extinguish by pouring the remainder of the drink into the glass. You will see a small cloud of smoke as the flame extinguishes (!!!). Garnish with a luxardo cherry.

The corpse reviver really is an exceptional drink and it never fails to surprise me how just the right bit of absinthe really does make all of the difference. Too much and that's the only flavor you're going to get, too little and the flavors of the cointreau will dominate and it's only going to taste like bad OJ. When you get it just right however, it's got everything you're looking for in a great cocktail - it hits your entire palate all at once and takes a few sips before you can get a grip on everything that's happening. It's fun, it's got one of those stellar luxardo cherries, and in my version you get a little bit of pine flavor from the barrel aging along with a double shot of botanicals which aren't completely overpowered by the rest of the drink.

Even if you think I'm doing it all wrong on this one, give the original corpse reviver no. 2 a try and you won't be disappointed.

Cheers!