Comments on: Cocktail Recipe: Zombie Punch

By: Jeff “Beachbum” Berry Gets Interviewed

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry Gets Interviewed — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:05:46 +0000

[...] able to secure a little bit of Jeff’s time and ask him about his book, his history and which Zombie recipe is the [...]

By: Jeff “Beachbum” Berry Gets Remixed

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry Gets Remixed — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:45:30 +0000

[...] largely due to the efforts of the Bum that today we know how to make a proper Zombie or what exactly goes into something called “Don’s Mix.” Even beyond Tiki one [...]

By: scomorokh

scomorokh — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:15:45 +0000

Great post Matt. You give me a lot of inspiration. Actually my favorite tiki-drink is Mai Tai (well, seems I`m Bergeronista too, do you take me in the club?), but from remaining Zombie is not so bad choice – a lot of rum, a lot of juices and exotic additives – all of this results in complex and interesting drink. In my opinion one of the great Zombie`s ingredients is Pernod, my latest version of Zombie is1947 Zombie (Trader Vic`s recipe) – awesome drink. I with several friends tasted three version of Zombie – Spievac, DeGroff but Trader Vic`s Zombie is champ. Now I admire have just a taste of you Zombie`s.

By: steve remsberg

steve remsberg — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:27:49 +0000

I happened on your site while doing some research. Let me add to the list of favorite Beachcomber drinks. Mine are:
Planter’s Rum Punch
Q B Cooler
Montego Bay
Beachcomber’s Punch
Beachcomber’s Gold

On the problems of recreating Donn’s recipes, you must be careful. Jeff Berry’s research mentions “Dark Puerto Rican Rum” for a number of them. The Zombie Punch is one. This has no existing substitute, although you would get the color right with Ron del Barilito. I know of only two dark Puerto Rican Rums, both developed to take a run at Jamaican rum in the Planter’s Punch, which became very popular in the late 30’s. They were Ronrico Red Label and Ron Carioca Tropical – both bottled at 90 and 151 proof. They are a separate species, and they became extinct around 1950. A gold rum doesn’t come close to their flavor. When Martin , Jeff Berry and I made the Zombie Punch a while back we used Lowndes Jamaican Rum and Ronrico Red Label from miniatures, which you can find on the internet.

By: Flynn Maloy

Flynn Maloy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:25:02 +0000

Sorry to take up more space here everyone, but I must correct myself – I reposted the 1934 recipe Matt gave above by mistake. For those who dont have it, here is Donn’s 1956 Zombie recipe per Jeff Berry’s exhaulted research (and the version preferred by my friends and family) :

.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz grapefruit
1.5 pineapple juice
1/2 oz Falernum
1.25 oz gold Puerto Rico
1 oz dark Jamaican
1 oz 151 Demerara
3/4 oz Maraschino liqueur (I use Luxardo – Bevmo carries it).
1/2 tsp grenadine
2 dashs bitters
1/8 tsp Pernod

The Marashino swapped for cinamon syrup, plus the addition of pineapple juice and 3/4 oz less rum changes completely the taste of the 1934 Zombie. Improves it’s drinkability and complexity, in my humble opinion – Donn’s opinion too I think. Cheers!

By: Flynn Maloy

Flynn Maloy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:42:35 +0000

Thanks – will tell him. Btw, I’m loving the Ron Barcelo Imperial you recomended they get for my last birthday. yummy. almost gone now. Question for you and the forum: have you ever come across Millenium XM 12 year old, “Demerara’s finest”? I brought back a bottle (the only one they had) I bought after a tasting in a little “Old Rum Shoppe” in Anguilla last January. Wow is all I can say – Demerara’s finest indeed. Spicey firey yumminess. Polar opposite from the smooth seduction of Ron B, but it is now at the top of my must-have-always-in-my-bar list. Never heard of it in this country before, more’s the shame. Anyone else?

By: Matt Robold

Matt Robold — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:55:32 +0000

It’s interesting to find how many different people have different favorites when it comes to the Zombie. I confess that I haven’t done a side-by-side comparison with other people voting, though that sounds like a lot of fun.

Time to clear some room on my calendar!

And tell Brian I said “Hello!”

By: Flynn Maloy

Flynn Maloy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:15:03 +0000

Hey Matt – as you know, Jeff has unearthed 3 Donn Zombie recipes: 1934 original, the 1950 ‘Speivack’ Zombie (Jeff believes, if it’s real, Donn reworked this recipe for home consumption), and a 1956 Zombie from Donn’s later Hawaiian restaurant – he had tweaked his Zombie over the years. Last xmas, your buddy/my brother-in-law Brian Goldin (the bald “Consultant”) and I mixed all 3 Zombies back to back to back for a group of 5 people as authentically as possible. The later version, 1956, was the across the board winner as the tastiest and most drinkable. Amazingly complex and yummy. We loved it. I continue to mix it regularly (though I prefer 1.5 oz lime and 1 full oz Falernum). Recipe here per Jeff: 3/4 lime, .5 oz Don’s mix, .5 oz Falernum, 1.5 Jamaican, 1.5 oz gold Puerto Rican, 1 oz 151 Demerara, dash bitters, 1/8 oz Pernod, 1 tsp Grenadine.

By: Matt Robold

Matt Robold — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:37:53 +0000

You’re right on the nose! The next time you’re making 2:1 simple, just crush up some cinnamon sticks and add them to the mixture while it simmers. This will allow the hot syrup to extract the cinnamon flavors. It’s super simple and incredibly delicious.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:33:45 +0000

at risk of sounding dumb…

Cinnamon syrup?…

I imagine steeping a couple cinnamon sticks in simple syrup. Am I wrong? and are we talking 2:1 rich simple? and how many sticks?

Love you!