Jeff “Beachbum” Berry has spent years uncovering the recipes for original tiki drinks from the ‘30s and ’40s. The Zombie—featured in Berry’s book Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari—is a Don the Beachcomber signature cocktail that has been poorly reinterpreted over the years, most often as a bad drink resembling a tropical Long Island iced tea. This recipe dates to about 1934. Berry found it in the 1937 notebook of Beachcomber waiter Dick Santiago, who had marked the recipe “old.”
What to buy: You can use any high-quality commercial cinnamon syrup, or infuse your own. You might want to try your hand at making your own grenadine as well.
Falernum is a clove- and lime-infused liqueur and can be purchased at most liquor stores; a popular brand is John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum. If you can’t find falernum, try making your own. We think this recipe is a great stand-in.
The Original Zombie recipe was featured as part of our Tiki Cocktails photo gallery.
- Yield: 1 drink
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: Under 5 mins
- Active: Under 5 mins
Ingredients (13)
- 3/4 cup crushed ice
- 1 1/2 ounces aged Jamaican rum, such as Appleton Estate V/X or Extra
- 1 1/2 ounces gold Puerto Rican rum
- 1 ounce 151-proof Lemon Hart Demerara rum
- 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons white grapefruit juice
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Syrup (see What to Buy note)
- 1 teaspoon Grenadine (see What to Buy note)
- 1/2 ounce falernum
- 1/8 teaspoon Pernod
- 1 dash aromatic bitters, such as angostura
- Ice cubes
- 1 mint sprig, for garnish
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except ice cubes and mint sprig in a blender. Blend on high until frothy but not slushy, no more than 5 seconds.
- Pour into a tall, narrow glass and add ice cubes to fill the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.
