Postcards and Cocktails
Twilight Hour Tuesday. Corpse Reviver
In 1818 Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, was published. The novelist was ahead of her time and penned an intriguing combination of Gothic horror and science fiction into her story. Central to the plot’s theme is man’s desire to create new life from death. Dr. Frankenstein speaks of his lofty dreams in a quote from the book:
“A new species would bless me as its creator and source, many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve their’s. Pursuing these reflections, I thought, that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.”
Unfortunately, things did not go well for Dr. Frankenstein. Sad and lonely, his creation turned on him and ended his life.
A more light-hearted interpretation of the work was produced by Mel Brooks in the 1974 film, Young Frankenstein. In this version everyone lives happily ever after. Elizabeth (played by Madelaine Kahn) finds Frankenstein’s monster (Peter Boyle) to be the perfect partner and Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) marries the pretty assistant, Inga (Teri Garr). During the process of stabilizing the monster’s temperament Dr. Frankenstein secures a substantially large body part from the creature, much to the delight of his new bride on their wedding night.
The concept of reanimated life exists in many works ranging from Dracula (1897) to The Walking Dead (2003). But it also exists in cocktails! Here are a few examples:
The Zombie:
Created in the 1930s by Don the Beachcomber for his bar in Los Angeles, the tropically inspired drink is a classic. It became so popular many other entrepreneurs laid claim to its creation, including Monte Proser. As a result, lawsuits were filed, but it was hard to keep the drink exclusive. Proser opened up the Zombie Bar and Restaurant at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair and set up a two drink limit due to the drink’s potency. It was so popular that the entertainer, Fats Waller, recorded a song about the drink titled, Abercrombie had a Zombie. A version of the Zombie recipe can be found in Cocktails Across America Lapis and Peck-Davis (2018).
RECIPE:
1 oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. pineapple juice
½ oz. papaya juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 ½ oz. golden rum
1 oz. dark rum
½ oz. white rum
Splash of 151-proof rum
Stir juices and brown sugar into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and all rum except the 151-proof rum. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass. Float the 151-proof rum on top. Decorate accordingly.
Corpse Reviver 2:
Appearing in The Savoy Cocktail Book, Harry Craddock (1930), the drink is fresh and uplifting. It was probably meant as a pick-me-up after a night of over indulgence or if you just weren’t feeling well. At any rate-it hits the mark.
RECIPE:
¾ oz. London dry gin
¾ oz. Lillet blanc
¾ oz. orange liqueur
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
Absinthe for rinse*
Swirl a splash of absinthe in a chilled glass to coat. Shake out the excess. Place remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and double strain into the absinthe coated glass.
Tune in next time for more recipes in this genre.
Thanks, Wendy. I enjoy watching the movie from time to time. Gene Wilder is a riot!
Great article, as always. Cheers, my friend.