Zombie

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Cocktail History

The Zombie is a classic cocktail that was created in the 1930s by Don the Beachcomber, who is considered the founding father of the modern tiki drink scene. Cocktail lore states that he randomly came up with the recipe, which mixes rums, citrus, spices, and his famous mix, in front of a customer. The businessman later reported back that it made him feel “like a zombie” for the rest of his trip, and the name stuck.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then aged, often in charred barrels, to develop a full-bodied, caramelized flavor.

White Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then typically left unaged or briefly aged and filtered to develop a light, spiced flavor.

151 Proof Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then aged and bottled at a very high alcohol content to develop a strong, spiced flavor.

Velvet Falernum Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with limes, almonds, cloves, ginger root, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, spiced Caribbean flavor.

Don’s Mix: This is a sweetener made with grapefruit juice, cinnamon sticks, and sugar, which are blended into a mixer with a spiced, citrus flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Absinthe: This is a spirit made by distilling a neutral alcohol with wormwood, anise, fennel, and other botanicals to develop a strong, herbal flavor.

Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a deep, sweet-tart flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Brown-ish golden color

• Aroma: Mint and spices

• Taste: Citrus-laced rum flavor with an eclectic mix of tingly spices and pomegranate notes

• Finish: Slight anise burn

Kendall’s Take: “The Zombie is said to be one of the most iconic tiki cocktails of all time, but if I’m completely honest, I didn’t find it as mind-blowing as I expected. Although tart and boozy, it’s not quite fruity enough and is a little too heavy on the absinthe for my palate. I think I’ve just come to love pineapple drinks most of all, followed by coconut and then citrus. I would definitely try this drink if you’ve never had it because you may feel differently, but I would choose the Mai Tai or Greena Colada over this.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.