What’s in your head?

The Zombie is a drink that is deceptively strong and needs to be imbibed with caution, but for an instant corpse reviver cannot be beaten.

The cocktail was invented by Donn Beach of Hollywood’s Don the Beachcomber bar in the 1930s. As Donn guarded the original recipe very closely, several variations on the original drink have sprung up but most agree that the basics involve a measure each of light, golden and dark rum with a range of tropical fruit juices and a splash of apricot brandy.

I cheat by using Somerfield’s own tropical mix of apple, pineapple and mango (many recipes stipulate just pineapple and papaya). Being a loose cannon, I add to the rum a dash of triple sec along with the Grenadine.

Pour the spirits over four ice cubes into a shaker, top up with a generous amount of fruit juice, give a couple of shakes (too much shaking will transform your drink to a smoothie), then poor through the strainer into a tall glass.

Donn’s original floated a pony of 151-proof rum on top of this, but that is for purists only.

A Zombie is strong but so delicious that the temptation is to knock it back and whip up another.
Take your time. This is a Caribbean holiday in a glass, to be sipped while day-dreaming of romance.

Donn’s original Ingredients
4 oz. still water
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. sugar syrup
1 oz. dark rum
1 oz. golden rum
1 oz. white rum
1 oz. 151-proof rum
1-1/4 oz. spiced golden rum
3/4 oz. Cherry liqueur
1/2 oz. (1 tbs.) Falernum syrup (very hard to get nowadays – splash in some extra Grenadine)
2 dashes Pernod or other anisette-flavored pastis
3 dashes Grenadine, 1 dash Angostura bitters

Reserving the 151-proof rum, pour over four ice cubes into a shaker, shake and pour into tall glass. Float the 151 proof rum on top

My slummer’s version

1 oz dark rum
1 oz golden rum
1 oz white rum
1 dash triple sec
1 dash apricot brandy or Calvados at a pinch
1 dash Grenadine, 1 dash Angostura bitters

Generous glugs of Somerfield or other own-brand tropical fruit juice to taste

Pour over four ice cubes, shake three times, pour through the strainer

Don’s place

A nice article about the search for the perfect Zombie can be read HERE