The Zombie is another classic tiki drink. This one was invented by Don the Beachcomber in 1934.
The problem with the Zombie is that there is no set recipe. Donn Beach kept his recipes secret, so much so that he prepared various mixes so that even his bartenders wouldn't know exactly what went in them. To confuse things further, he changed his recipe several times over the decades. On top of this, other bars attempted to reproduce the drink, or else they just created their own versions. Trader Vic's version is quite different from Don the Beachcomber's version, for example.
The common thread connecting all these recipes is the combination of at least three rums with at least three fruit juices, plus some additional flavorings (syrups, bitters and/or liqueurs).
The following recipe is an attempt to reconcile three different recipes known to originate from Don the Beachcomber:
1 oz light rum
1 oz gold rum
1 oz dark rum
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1 1/2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 oz. falernum (a syrup with lime, ginger and almond flavors)
1/2 oz. grenadine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz. 151-proof rum
6 drops Pernod
Shake everything but the last two ingredients, and strain into tall glass filled with crushed ice. Float 151-proof rum and Pernod. Garnish with mint sprig.
No photo this time: too many ingredients I don't have at my disposal!
