A Tale of Two Cocktails: The Zombie

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The history of the Zombie cocktail is a story of recipe archeology unrivaled not only in the Tiki space, but likely within the entire study of cocktails and their history. A Donn Beach original, the Zombie recipe was shrouded in deliberate secrecy since its inception, largely as an effort by Donn to protect the intellectual property of his bar program. His protective effort was not without cause, as many imposters tried to capitalize on the reputation of his Zombie very shortly after its creation, even without access to the true recipe. Unfortunately, this led to the prevalence of many subpar concoctions of unspecified juice and an excess of rum, which undermined the name of the true drink. What’s more, for years the glory of the true recipe could only be guessed at, putting Tiki and cocktail enthusiasts not much closer to it than the profiteering copy-cats of the past. Cocktail historian and Tiki revival figurehead Jeff “Beachbum” Berry undertook extensive research and forged close connections with aging Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s bartenders, and it’s thanks to his tireless work that we all can enjoy what the Zombie is genuinely meant to be.

As with most historical research, Berry relied on various primary sources to find the information he needed. Interestingly, there exist only a few published recipes for the Zombie during its prime. Furthermore, these few recipes are marked by notable differences. Here, we’ll assess how a recipe attributed to Donn from 1956 compares to his original 1934 recipe.

Ironically, the 1934 recipe proved the most elusive, as Berry had to first determine what constituted “Don’s Mix.”  To do so, he had to figure out what “Spices #4,” the element that partnered with grapefruit juice to make up the mix, was. Berry tracked down the ingredient supply company that Donn sourced the Spices #4 syrup from, and thankfully a conversation with veteran Tiki bartender Bob Esmino clarified what the mystery piece was - a cinnamon syrup! So Don’s Mix was a blend of white grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup, both the ‘missing link’ in the archeological puzzle and a defining constituent of the 1934 recipe’s flavor profile.

The 1956 recipe actually comes from an article in a men’s magazine called Cabaret Quarterly. The editors claimed that Donn provided them the recipe from his Waikiki homebase Beachcomber’s. Following his split from his wife Sunny, Donn was perpetuating his dream of tropical paradise in more genuinely tropical locales - in Honolulu itself. This change in geography is reflected in the change in spec. Although it’s unfortunately impossible to confirm that Donn provided the Cabaret editors with his recipe, the characteristic differences that set it apart from the 1934 mix make sense. Notably, the 1956 recipe includes pineapple juice, an ingredient Donn highlighted further in Hawaii, based both on availability and the taste expectations of his guests. Travellers to Hawaii in the 1950s and 60s expected the inclusion of tropical fruit juices in a way his domestic mixes from previous decades didn’t necessarily involve. Furthermore, the build of the 1956 recipe points to an evolved drink, one in which the blend of flavors is mellower and arguably more elegant. Beachbum Berry describes the 1956 recipe in his book Sippin’ Safari, “a soothing swim in the river of Lithe, in which we forgot every unpleasant thing that ever happened to us…” Comparing it to the 1934 recipe, as decoded from Dick Santiago’s notebook, Berry wrote, “if the Cabaret Zombie was Lethe, a glacial river of forgetting, then Dick’s Zombie was the Colorado, where roiling rapids spun you on a white-knuckle ride to a violent end.”

The distinction between these two recipes is not only an engaging exploration of Tiki history, it’s an exciting way to comparatively taste. The 1934 recipe is delicious, if bold, forefronting its spice notes with Don’s Mix and a larger portion of falernum. It’s the sort of profile that, while effectively balanced, reminds you that there’s an exciting amount of rum in this drink. In contrast, the 1956 recipe, with its pineapple and maraschino mellowness, almost can make one forget, despite its comparable potency. There’s really only one way to honor Donn’s work and experience both cocktails - side by side. But given that they are Zombies, might just be wise to hold off on a third. But we invite you to celebrate Donn’s work, the bartender’s craft, and the wonderful expression of flavor history to be enjoyed in the evolution of the drink!

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The 1934 Zombie

The 1956 Zombie