There are mentions of layered Corpse Reviver drinks (including such ingredients as creme de noyau, maraschino, and yellow chartreuse) said to be on Parisian menus by 1863, but the first Corpse Reviver recipe appears to be from “The Gentleman’s Table Guide” by E. Ricket and C. Thomas, published in 1871. They suggest filling a wineglass half with brandy, half with Maraschino and adding two dashes of Boker’s bitters.

In 1930, Harry Craddock came on the scene with the Corpse Revivers #1 and #2. Originally from America, he came to the Savoy in 1920, shortly after Prohibition began. He started out working at the Dispense Bar, but was head barman at the American Bar by 1925. “The Savoy Cocktail Book” is his most enduring legacy, a compilation of almost 40 years of cocktail recipes, including many of his own devising. His note after the Corpse Reviver #2 recipe reveals a bit of his humor: “Four of these taken in quick succession will unrevive the corpse again.” (Spirits/Cocktails)