Some corpse reviver cocktail recipes have been lost to time,[1] but several variations commonly thought to be tied to the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel remain, especially those espoused by Harry Craddock that originally date back to at least 1930[2] and are still being made.

The use of the words "corpse reviver" to describe a mixed drink appears in literature as early as an issue of Punch in 1861.

[5] A recipe for a cocktail called the Criterion Reviver appeared in 1875 in Leo Engel's American and Other Drinks bar guide.

[9] Bartender Victor Bergeron (AKA Trader Vic) lists the corpse reviver #1 with the same ingredients and calls for twisting a lemon peel over the drink.

In Patrick Duffy's 1956 Official Mixers Manual he lists the corpse reviver #2 as employing punsch and does not mention Lillet.

Salvatore Calabrese states in his book Classic Cocktails that it was created by Johnny Johnson of the Savoy circa 1948, and lists it as a corpse reviver #3.