If you’ve found yourself in this article and are here reading the introduction, hello, hi. Nice to meet you. Chances are, you’re either a mixologist who’s curious to whip up more quarantinis, you’re a person who just loves anything booze-related, or you’re wondering what makes this colorful and very refreshing-looking cocktail so “zombie-like.”
Well, brace yourselves, because while this classic vintage cocktail won’t eat your brains, it sure might make you feel like a zombie the next day.
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This refreshing-looking drink is called a “Zombie,” and it definitely lives up to its name.
The strong and fruity drink is said to be created in 1934 by Donn Beach at his Hollywood bar called Beachcomber.
As one of the “founding fathers” of tiki culture in the United States, Donn’s Zombie cocktail is a mainstay at tiki bars to this day.
It’s filled with tropical fruit juices like pineapple, grapefruit,and passion fruit, as well as other fruity flavors like zesty lime and sweet grenadine.
To fit the whole vibe, it’s often serves in a tall tiki glass and garnished with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry, and mint leaves.
Most of all, it’s made with three different rums, including light, dark, and a hefty 151-proof rum.
In Donn’s original recipe , falernum (a Caribbean cocktail syrup), cinnamon syrup, and an anise-flavored liquor are used.
The drink is sweet, spicy, and fruity all at once.
Every recipe has its own substitutes, depending on what people can get their hands on or already have in their homes.
Story has it that Donn created the drink to revive a hungover customer who needed to get through a business meeting, hence the cocktail’s name “Zombie.”
With the amount of alcohol in this drink, we have a feeling you might be feeling like a zombie the next day if you have more than one, so drink responsibly!
