World Gin Month Celebration & Rebrand to Conniption Cocktail Bar & Lounge — Triangle Around Town

By Jennifer Primrose
trianglearoundtown@gmail.com | trianglearoundtown.com

On June 4, we were invited to an exclusive influencer night at Durham’s Corpse Reviver Cocktail Bar to celebrate the kick-off of its World Gin Month. The evening featured beautiful cocktails, thoughtful hospitality and a sneak peek at what’s next for this local hotspot, making it a memorable experience.

Tucked behind Durham Distillery, Corpse Reviver has long served as the cocktail embodiment of Conniption Gin, the award-winning spirit. And while I’m still easing into the world of gin, this event made a believer out of me. Their new menu, From Classics to Conniption, is a stunning timeline of gin cocktails that traces the spirit’s evolution from the 1800s to today. From the familiar Gin & Tonic to the zesty, herbaceous Gin Basil Smash, each drink came with a bit of history—and, I have to say, it’s the kind of educational experience I can really get behind.

With twelve gin cocktails to choose from, narrowing it down to just a few was no easy task. We eventually landed on four: the 1919’s bubbly French 75 and the bold and bittersweet Negroni, to the Prohibition-era and namesake Corpse Reviver, and finally, the 2008 bright, herb-forward Gin Basil Smash—a crowd favorite. These weren’t just drinks—they were time-traveling sips across Gin’s long and storied journey.