Classical Cocktails: Zombie

This powerful cocktail originated in the Hollywood Don the Beachcomber restaurant, where Donn Beach invented it in the 1930s. It is said that customers were allowed to order only a maximum of two zombies due to its high alcoholic content. Donn originally made the drink to try and help cure a hangover but instead, a regular customer came back saying they felt like a ‘zombie’ which is how it got its unique name. If you want to try out this potent cocktail, check out the simplified recipe below. Drink with caution, as the name suggests, you might end up feeling like a zombie!

Ingredients: 

• 1 ounce light rum

• 1 ounce gold rum

• 1 ounce of 151-proof dark rum

• 1 ounce pineapple juice

• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 ounce passion fruit syrup

• ½ ounce simple syrup

• 1 dash of aromatic bitters

• Fresh mint sprig

Directions: 

1. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker.

2. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well.

3. In a tall glass add fresh ice.

4. Strain the cocktail mixture into the glass.

5. Add a fresh sprig of mint for garnish.

Notes:

• There are variations to this cocktail. If you want to get as close as possible to the original recipe, you should use Jamaican rum, Puerto Rican gold rum, ½ ounces of Don’s mix, ½ ounces of falernum, 1 teaspoon of grenadine, 4 dashes of Pernod, and 1 dash of Angostura bitters. Omit the passion fruit syrup, aromatic bitters, simple syrup, and pineapple juice. When creating the original recipe, you should blend all the ingredients (minus the sprig of mint) with ice in a blender instead of using a cocktail shaker. For the full effect, it’s best to serve it in a Tiki mug. 

• There is also another slight variation of this drink in which you float the dark rum on top before serving. To do this, create the drink as normal but hold back on the dark rum and save it for before serving. When you’ve made the drink and poured it into the glass, use the back of a spoon to gently pour the dark rum into the glass. Let the rum flow onto the spoon and then into the cocktail. It should float at the top as a layer. Layering or floating the alcohol can change the experience of the drink. It plays with the taste since not all sips will taste the same. It also creates a contrast between what you smell and what you are tasting as you take your sips which affects the overall sensory experience of drinking this cocktail.