The Zombie
Created in 1934, the Zombie was so popular that its creator, Don the Beachcomber, deliberately kept the ingredients a secret. He would mix the rums and spices together in advance so that not even his bartenders knew what was in the final mix. This had the double effect of making the cocktail quicker to serve and as such the Zombie may well be the world’s very first pre-batched cocktail.
Thanks to the research of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, he was able to piece together the missing ingredients in this often misappropriated cocktail, so that the drink we have today is far more reminiscent of what Don the Beachcomber would have been serving up back in the day.
This recipe has some slight twists to the original and has been scaled down slightly on the alcohol to allow guests to enjoy a second or perhaps a third drink.
The Zombie Recipe
Ingredients
(serves 1)
- 20 ml Plantation Barbados 5yr
- 20 ml Plantation Original Dark Rum
- 15 ml Plantation OFTD Rum
- 15 ml falernum
- 10 ml grenadine
- 5 ml cinnamon sugar syrup
- 5 ml Green Chartreuse
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 15 ml fresh grapefruit juice
- 20 ml lime juice
Glassware: Tiki mug
Garnish: half a grapefruit wheel, lime husk and mint sprig
Method
Shake and pour all contents (ice included) into a Tiki Mug. Garnish with half a grapefruit wheel, a lime husk and mint sprig.
Pro Tip
Spoon a little brown sugar into the lime husk and pour 5ml of Plantation OFTD over the sugar. You can light this on fire for extra theatre but make sure you blow it out before you start drinking. You can tell your guests to dunk the lime into the drink half way through for an extra little bit of rum and sugar in their drink.
How to Batch the Zombie
For 8 people – (1.5 serves per person)
Ingredients
- 240 ml Plantation Barbados 5yr
- 240 ml Plantation Original Dark Rum
- 180 ml Plantation OFTD Rum
- 180 ml falernum
- 120 ml grenadine
- 60 ml cinnamon sugar syrup
- 60 ml Green Chartreuse
- 24 dashes Angostura Bitters
Then in separate bottles, freshly squeeze:
- 180ml fresh grapefruit juice
- 240ml lime juice
Method
To make one Zombie from your pre-batch, add 90ml Zombie mix, 15ml grapefruit juice and 20ml lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake, strain into a Zombie mug and garnish.
Click on the next page for How to Batch Tiki Cocktails: Piña Colada and Pro Tips for Successful Batching.
