043 – Zombie

Sydney Covid ‘lock-down’ exploration of the ‘Zombie’ cocktail, where ‘Tiki Culture’ started.

Lockdown has inspired me to explore this famous cocktail. Let’s take a look at the 1934 ‘Zombie’ cocktail, created by Donn Beach, considered the ‘founding Father’ of US ‘Tiki Cocktail Culture’, its history, construction and a 2021 ‘make-at-home’ Lock-Tail remake.

Make your own ‘mix-at-home’ Locktail, the super-charged ‘Zombie’.

METHOD – PREPARE THE ‘DON’S MIX’ – Heat 100gm of Brown Sugar and 50ml of Water with three broken cinnamon sticks and 2ml vanilla essence (optional) in a pan until the sugar is fully dissolved. Let cool or refrigerate after straining out cinnamon sticks. Should make around 100ml of cinnamon sugar syrup. Add the juice of one medium to large Ruby Grapefruit (should produce around 200ml of juice), strained into the cinnamon syrup. The result should be around 300ml (2-parts Grapefruit Juice and 1-part Cinnamon Syrup) which is ‘Don’s Mix’, sufficient for up to 10 ‘Zombie’ Cocktails. Refrigerate, will last up to 2-weeks and can be used as a cordial with mineral water if you have left over quantity.

FOR THE COCKTAIL – You will need a blender capable of breaking ice into a frappe. Add (per cocktail) 45ml Puerto Rican Rum (White or Gold), 45ml Jamaican Rum (Gold or Dark), 45ml Demerara Rum (Dark), 30ml of non-alcoholic Falernum Syrup, 30ml fresh lime juice, 30ml of Don’s Mix (instructions above), 2 dashes of Angostura or aromatic bitters, and 2ml (around 6 drops) of Pernod (do not exceed 3ml or the star anise flavour will dominate the rum balance), and a large handful or two of ice (around 100 to 150ml worth of ice). Blend for 10-20 seconds, depending on blender until a grainy ice mix. Poor into the glassware over additional ice cubes or crushed ice. Garnish with a Grapefruit and Lime slice.

FOR THE FLAMING VERSION – Cut a lime in half and remove inner flesh without breaking the skin (use flesh for juice above). Turn skin ‘inside-out’ to create a ‘cup’ (see video below). At the end of the cocktails creation, pour 30ml of OP Rum (at least 60% ABV, I prefer the Plantation O.F.T.D. Dark Rum at 69% ABV) and light carefully with a match. Ideally before the rum has chilled too much. The flame will burn ‘blue or clear’, to show yellow flames, sprinkle a little ground cinnamon over the flame. Make sure flame is out before drinking as it will burn, as will a hot glass rim.

HISTORICAL NOTES – Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (1907–1989), toward the end of US Prohibition (1920–1933) was working as a bootlegger and the operator of illegal speakeasy ‘Ernie’s Place’. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the 26-year-old entrepreneur changed his name legally to ‘Donn Beach’ and set up ‘Don the Beachcomber’ restaurant in California, USA.

Donn was well known for mixing strong Rum cocktails that he called his ‘Rhum Rhapsodies’. A year later in 1934, Donn created the ‘Zombie’ cocktail. It was a huge success. His ‘Don the Beachcomber’ became well known for Cantonese dishes, that were at the time considered exotic, and his cocktails. He attracted famous patrons including Vivien Leigh, David Niven, Clark Cable, Bing Crosby and Marlene Dietrich.

Donn Beach created a number of cocktails that have survived through until today, but none as famous as the Zombie. Patrons were not allowed more than two, so legendary was their potency, and the recipe was secretly guarded and separated into numbered ingredients. The ‘Don’s Mix’ recipe comes to us from Dick Santiago’s notebook, a waiter at ‘Don the Beachcomber’ back in 1937, and shared in Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry’s book ‘Sippin’ Safari’. So influential was Donn Beach, he is considered the founding-Father of ‘Tiki Cocktail Culture’.

Beach went on to serve in the US Army Air Force in World War Two, as the operator of officer rest-and-recreation centers under his friend Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle, commissioned as a Captain and achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Often referred to as ‘Don Beach-comber’, he received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart when a ship he was on, off the coast of North Africa, was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Colonel Gantt (Donn Beach) even having a B29-Bomber named in his honour (shown above).

During the War, the ‘Don the Beachcomber’ restaurants were left in the very capable hands of his wife Cora Irene ‘Sunny’ Sund (1909–1974) a school teacher from Minnesota. They flourished during the War, with Sunny extending them into a franchise of 16 restaurants, the first ‘themed restaurant chain’ in the USA. It was ‘Sunny Sund’ also known as ‘Mama C.I.’ who had originally borrowed money to fund Gantt and Sund’s creation of the first ‘Don the Beachcomber’ cafè. The business partners married in 1937 but were divorced by 1940, remaining business partners until 1945.

The aviation connection was very strong, with Donn Beach creating several aviation themed cocktails including the ‘Test Pilot’ and ‘Q.B. Cooler’. The ‘QB’ stands for ‘Quite Birdmen’ or more fully ‘ye Anciente and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen’, founded in 1921 by World War One pilots as a club for selected (invited) pilots and astronauts. It was the ‘Q.B. Cooler’ that Donn Beach claimed Trader Vic had taken as inspiration of the ‘Mai Tai’ cocktail.

In 1945 he signed the ‘Beachcomber’ chain over to his ex-wife, possibly under Chicago mafia pressure, and moved to Hawaii where he founded a new venture and additional hospitality success.

THE OFFICIAL MIX – The ‘Zombie’ is included in the International Bartender Association’s (IBA) ‘Contemporary Classics’ official cocktail list, here. The recipe is not surprisingly detailed and complex, but differs slightly from my suggested mix. Follow the link above if you’d like to explore the IBA recipe.

TASTING NOTES – The three rums (Puerto Rican, Jamaican and Demerara) balance each other well, creating the illusion that the drink isn’t that strong with alcohol. Of course it is, having between 4 and 5 shots of at least 40-percent ABV ingredients, this is a potent drink, on a par with a Long Island Iced Tea.

Of course it is clearly a rum flavoured cocktail, but the falernum, lime juice, and the grapefruit juice, sugar and cinnamon (in the Don’s Mix) add sourness, sweetness and spice, giving the cocktail a beautiful balance. There should be just a hint of star anise from the Pernod and some bitterness as well, all holding the strength of the rum in check. Made with plenty of ice, this is a wonderful spring/summer or tropical drink, with a bite. The house rule at ‘Don the Beachcomber’ not to let patrons have more that two of these cocktails is a wise rule to continue.

LOCKTAIL CHANGES – I have tried to make the 2021 Lock-tail remake as close to the reported recipe of the original 1934 Donn Beach creation. The only notable differences are, I have made specific brand choices for each of the Rum types, and this will have an impact of course. I have also increased the sweet, smoky and rich Demerara Rum to 45ml (from 30ml), as it is a delicious rum, that I felt deserved parity with the other two. Otherwise, I hope it is close to an authentic reproduction of the original Tiki Cocktail.

I have also added a page ‘Let’s Talk About Rum’ to further explore the world of Rum that these types of cocktails introduce to this journey of discovery.

YOUR LOCKTAIL EXPERIENCE – If you’d rather taste than read, I am progressively building an ingredient list and other sourcing information on this site. I will re-use ingredients where I can (good for my budget too), so that the cost goes down overtime if you are ‘playing at home’.

Let me know what you think.

Cocktails you’d like reinvented.

Recipes you’ve tried and your ‘score’.

This is the third cocktail of the 1931-1940 bracket of ‘Locktail’ remixes. Full list in the index.