Zombie

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (98 ratings)

Serve in a Zombie or Collins glass

Ingredients:
1 oz Caribbean blended rum aged 6-10 years
56 oz Light gold rum (1-3 year old molasses column)
23 oz Jamaican-style overproof aged pot still rum
12 oz Difford's Falernum liqueur
1 oz Pineapple juice
23 oz Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
13 oz Pink grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)
16 oz Monin Grenadine Syrup
4 dash La Fée Parisienne absinthe
3 drop Saline solution 4:1 (20g sea salt to 80g water)
14 barspoon Xanthan gum (E415) optional
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Zombie or Collins glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of mint sprigs bouquet.
  3. DRY BLEND (without ice) first 10 ingredients (all but Xanthan gum) on a slow setting and gradually add Xanthan while continuing to blend.
  4. Add 7oz scoop of crushed ice and BLEND some more.
  5. POUR into chilled glass.
  6. Garnish with mint sprigs bouquet.
  7. Serve with a straw.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 10/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10

Review:

Powerful funky rum and delicate cinnamon spice partially tamed by rich fruit and sweetened clove.

View readers' comments

History:

Created by Don Beach in 1934 at Don the Beachcomber's in Hollywood, USA. This recipe is adapted from one published in Jeff Berry's Sippin' Safari, which Jeff sourced from the 1937 notebook of Beachcomber's waiter Dick Santiago.

Alcohol content:

  • 2.4 standard drinks
  • 21.84% alc./vol. (21.84° proof)
  • 34.1 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Harry’s Avatar Harry
18th December 2024 at 22:53
High levels of effort, but has a great pay off. Tops.
Matthew Mason’s Avatar Matthew Mason
29th January at 09:51
Don't forget than xantham gum
Sally Morgan’s Avatar Sally Morgan
20th July 2024 at 18:12
Getting a good mix of rums is essential for this but hit the sweet spot and it really sings (as will you - heady stuff!)
Jose Cruz’s Avatar Jose Cruz
9th May 2024 at 05:56
I said u wouldn't blend any more drinks but i had to give my first zombie the benefit of the doubt, after-all is Don B and not trader Vic. L.O.L. ... okai jest aside great cocktail that can handle the ice ! cheers ;) ... Stiff drink, used RUMFIRE !
Colin Gerrity’s Avatar Colin Gerrity
24th June 2022 at 17:28
What's recommended for the "overproof aged rum?"
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
25th June 2022 at 16:04
I'm presently using Hampden Estate Overproof Rum. I've added a link above.
23rd June 2022 at 07:55
我也被这杯酒搞糊涂了 不同的水果香料 加上大量的朗姆混合酒 因为成本的问题 我总是无法把风味统一到一起 我想这应该是一种果味浓郁的料理
Alexander Timofeyev’s Avatar Alexander Timofeyev
27th September 2021 at 01:44
I'm confounded by the Zombie - I like tiki drinks, I like boozy drinks, I like all of the ingredients separately, but I really dislike how they come together in this cocktail. I've tried this recipe with pineapple juice, the original with cinnamon syrup, and either way I ended up with possibly the worst cocktail I've ever had. And that's compounded by this cocktail being quite the production to make. I feel like I'm missing something, or maybe the Zombie just doesn't work for my palate.
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
31st December 2021 at 08:07
This is my interpretation of the Codex recipe: 37.5ml Appleton Signature Blend, 37.5ml Ron del Barrilito 3-star rum, 22.5ml Hamilton Demerara 151 Overproof rum, 10ml Grapefruit juice, 5ml Cinnamon syrup, 22.5ml Lime juice, 15ml Tailor Velvet Falernum, 2.5ml Grenadine, 2 dash Absinthe, 2 drops Saline solution.
Joshua Black’s Avatar Joshua Black
31st December 2021 at 05:26
Try the specs from Cocktail codex?
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
5th September 2021 at 01:27
Made this again and it was great. However, we did use the Difford Smart Jigger for the measurements and it was so easy. I am in the States and paid for the postage to get these, and it was worth every penny. These jiggers are unbelievable.
David Selle’s Avatar David Selle
30th July 2021 at 20:36
You mention cinnamon spice in the review notes - where does that come from? I note that cinnamon syrup is common in other zombie recipes.
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
4th August 2021 at 20:30
Cinnamon notes come from both the falernum and, to a degree, the rums.
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
11th July 2021 at 01:40
Outstanding. Heavy on the rum taste and very powerful. Has always been one of my favorites.
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Anonymous

22nd December 2020 at 00:20
I have tried this at several establishments and their versions are rarely delicious.