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Many classic tiki cocktails have colorful origin stories, and the Zombie is no exception. According to legend, Donn Beach, the godfather of tiki, crafted this potent drink for one of his regulars who came in with a hangover so bad he could barely think straight before an important business meeting. Donn whipped up a blend of rums and secret ingredients and sent the man on his way. When the customer returned days later, Donn asked if his hangover cure had worked. “It made a zombie out of me,” the man said. And just like that, the Zombie was born.
Given the sheer strength of the cocktail, Donn wisely limited customers to only two Zombies per visit, ensuring that the living dead didn’t turn into the walking destroyed. Of course, this might have also been a brilliant marketing strategy by restricting the number of Zombies per person, Donn likely made the drink even more desirable. After all, if you're told you can only have two, wouldn’t you be tempted to push your limits and order that extra one? That said, I’d definitely not recommend trying that, especially with my version at the Kaona Room The Ghost one is more than enough to send you into the spooky realm!
The Zombie, like many of Donn’s legendary creations, was cloaked in mystery. It was a complex blend of rums sourced from across the Caribbean, combined with a list of secret ingredients that only Donn and his most trusted staff understood. After several of his recipes were stolen by competitors, Donn developed an elaborate coding system for his recipes to keep them under wraps. Only his inner circle knew the true ingredients, leaving other bartenders to guess and concoct their own versions, some inspired, others downright terrifying.
Postcard: ddp collection
Zombie 1934
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Worthy Park Select Jamaican Rum
1 oz Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum
1.5 oz Don Q 7yo Puerto Rican Rum
0.5 oz Falernum
0.5 ozDon Mix #2
0.75 Fresh lime juice
2 dashes Pernod
1 dash Angostura Bitter
1 tsp Grenadine Syrup
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for up to 5 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and packed with crushed ice . Finish with a mint sprig for garnish.
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The Zombie’s fame exploded when it appeared on the menu at the Hurricane Bar during the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The cocktail became an instant icon, synonymous with exotic indulgence, and cemented its place in tiki lore. However, as tiki culture faded over the years, the original recipe for Donn’s Zombie seemed to vanish into obscurity.
Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who made it his mission to resurrect tiki’s lost recipes. After years of research, Berry finally got his hands on the little black book of Dick Santiago, one of Donn’s original bartenders from the 1930s. Inside, Berry found the secret ingredient called “Don’s Mix,” a blend of grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup, which was essential to recreating the Zombie’s distinctive flavor. With this discovery, Berry was able to piece together the original recipe and bring the Zombie back to life.
Today, bartenders around the world continue to experiment with different versions of this undead classic. Some strive for authenticity, while others push the boundaries with their own interpretations. I’ve played with the Zombie myself, crafting different versions inspired by the cultures and flavors I love. My El Zombi adds a Mexican twist, blending mezcal for a smoky backbone and a sharper edge. The Ghost, on the other hand, is a ghostly pale version, made as the original 1934 one and clarified for a smooth, hauntingly clean finish that still packs the same punch.
El Zombi
Mezcal Lovers !!… here’s your poison!
A robust twist of the classic Don The Beachcomber Zombie, mixed to perfection with Mezcal and our signature Zombie rum blend.
1 oz Dan’s Mix #9
o.75 oz fresh lime juice
1 ½ oz Don’s mix #2**
1.5 oz Holmes Cay Esotico Heritage Rum Blend
0.75 oz Diamond Reserve Demerara Overproof rum
1 oz Mezcal Espadin
1 dash Pernod
2 dashes Angostura bitters on top before serving
Use electric mixer or shake with crushed ice.
Pour unstrained into a tall glass.
Garnish with 2 mint sprigs
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*How to make Dan's #9
Make 1 liter
500 ml Orgeat Syrup preferably homemade***
400 ml ginger syrup
100 ml All spice Dram liquor
Blend
Bottle it
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**How to make Don"s Mix #2
Equal parts:
Cinnamon Infused Syrup
Grapefruit Juice
Mix it
Bottle it
***Orgeat Syrup
Make 1 liter
400 gr almond paste ( marzipan)
600 ml simple syrup
10 ml orange blossom water or rose water.
Blend
Bottle it
Tiki bars have taken the Zombie to new heights, adding theatrical touches like flaming garnishes, dry ice, and skull mugs to amp up the drink’s already spooky allure. It’s no surprise that the Zombie has become a Halloween favorite. With its eerie name, potent kick, and over-the-top presentation, it embodies the playful and mysterious spirit of the holiday. Like Halloween itself, the Zombie invites us to dance with the macabre and revel in the unknown, all while enjoying a killer cocktail.
Each year, I create limited edition tiki mugs for Halloween, featuring ghoulish designs like a grotesque Frankenstein or a shambling Zombie. These mugs have become as much a part of the celebration as the drinks they’re made for, transforming the act of drinking into a ritual of dark fun and adventure.
In the end, the Zombie, like Halloween, reminds us that sometimes the scariest things are also the most thrilling. So go ahead—take a sip, but just remember Donn’s rule. Two is the limit, and even that might leave you feeling like one of the undead.
A special Mahalo to Jeff " Beachbum" Berry
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