Zombie Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Zombie is the strongest of the classic tiki drinks and one of the most complex. The version most bars follow today comes from a 1934 Donn Beach recipe that was later decoded from his deliberately cryptic notes. It blends three rums, including an overproof Demerara, with lime, falernum, a grapefruit-and-cinnamon syrup mixture, grenadine, bitters and a few drops of anise liqueur. The flavor is spiced, citrusy and deep, which is exactly why it is easy to underestimate.

Two things make it work. First, the cinnamon syrup and falernum add spice that carries all that rum. Second, the drink is flash-blended for just a few seconds with crushed ice, which chills and dilutes it quickly and gives it a light, frothy texture. Treat one Zombie as the whole evening's drinking for one person.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (1½ oz) gold Puerto Rican rum
• 45 ml (1½ oz) aged Jamaican rum
• 30 ml (1 oz) overproof Demerara rum (about 75% ABV)
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lime juice
• 15 ml (½ oz) falernum
• 10 ml (2 tsp) white grapefruit juice
• 5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon syrup
• 5 ml (1 tsp) grenadine
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 6 drops absinthe or pastis
• 180 ml (¾ cup) crushed ice — for blending, plus extra to fill the glass
• 1 sprig fresh mint — garnish

Method

1. Fill the tall glass with crushed ice so it is cold when the drink arrives.
2. Pour all three rums, the lime juice, falernum, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, grenadine, bitters and absinthe into the blender jar.
3. Add 180 ml of crushed ice. Blend on high for no more than 5 seconds. The goal is a cold, frothy liquid, not a frozen slush.
4. Pour the contents into the ice-filled glass without straining. Top with extra crushed ice if needed.
5. Garnish with a mint sprig, slapped first to release its aroma, and serve with a straw.

Tips for success

• The grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup together are what tiki bars call Don's Mix. You can pre-mix them in a 2:1 ratio and use 15 ml.
• Absinthe is measured in drops for a reason. More than a few drops takes over the drink.
• If you do not own a blender, shake hard with crushed ice for 10 seconds and pour unstrained.

Substitutions

Overproof Demerara rum

Use a 40% Demerara rum to make the drink notably less potent while keeping its dark, molasses depth.

Falernum

Velvet falernum is the common commercial choice. In a pinch, use 10 ml simple syrup plus a dash of almond extract and a pinch of lime zest.

Cinnamon syrup

Simmer 1 broken cinnamon stick in 100 ml 1:1 simple syrup for 5 minutes, cool and strain. Do not substitute ground cinnamon, which stays gritty.

Variations

Lighter Zombie

Leave out the overproof rum and raise the gold rum to 60 ml. The drink is calmer but still spiced and layered.

Troubleshooting

It came out like a slushie

It was blended too long. Five seconds is enough to chill and aerate.

It tastes harsh and boozy

Too little dilution or ice. Use the full 180 ml of crushed ice in the blender and serve over more crushed ice.

It tastes like licorice

Too much absinthe. Use a dropper and stop at 6 drops.

Storage

Serve at once; blended drinks separate and melt within minutes. Store opened falernum and syrups in the fridge, and use homemade cinnamon syrup within about 2 weeks.

Safety notes

This is a very strong drink: about 120 ml of rum including an overproof bottle, or roughly 3.4 U.S. standard drinks (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). Limit it to one per person. Only for adults of legal drinking age. Do not drink and drive.