The Zombie
The Zombie is a cocktail dating from the mid 1930’s, made of fruit juices, liqueurs, and various rums. Reputedly invented by Donn Beach at his Hollywood Don the Beachcomber restaurant. Donn was one of the pioneers of the Tiki-style movement (highly decorated bars giving an escapist feel) which swept across America in the late 30`s.
The Zombie cocktail supposedly got it’s name from the effect that it has on the drinker. The original recipe staggeringly called for over 200 ml of alcohol !
The original recipe has some very unique ingredients that can be hard to find: Pernod, Falernum, and Donn’s mix (grapefruit and cinnamon syrup). We have substituted Passion Fruit Syrup (liqueur) for this
The Zombie cocktail ingredients list is one of the longest which for ease we have simplified slightly
The Zombie
Ingredients
45 ml Dark rum
45 ml Gold rum
30 ml Demerara Rum
20 ml Fresh lime juice
15 ml Falernum
15 ml Passion Fruit Syrup
1 tsp Grenadine syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
6 drops Pernod
Method
In a cocktail shaker add the rums, the lime juice, Falernum, passion fruit syrup, Angostura bitters and the pernod. Add lots of ice.
Shake until the shaker feels very cold.
Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Add the Grenadine syrup on top
Serve with a wedge of lemon, a sprig of mint and a maraschino cherry.
Some recipes call for a fourth rum – called a 151 rum which has a staggering 75% alcohol content. It is usually used for flaming drinks
If using, this it is added at the end after the grenadine syrup and can be flamed !
Be warned this is not for the faint hearted
