Zombie Drink

The Zombie cocktail is a classic tiki drink made with not one, not two, but three types of rum. Potent and flavorful, too many of these tropical drinks might have you feeling like a zombie the next day. Make this drink for a tropical pool party or serve it up as a Halloween cocktail.

Zombie drink recipe

If you’re a tiki fan or a rum aficionado, you’ve got to get to know the Zombie drink. This tiki cocktail is made with three types of rum and it’s full of flavor.

Along with the Mai Tai and Painkiller, the Zombie is a drink you’ll see on the menu of tiki bars.

But be careful — this drink is very potent, so be sure to hydrate and don’t have too many! It gets its name because too many might have you feeling like a zombie the day after.

Whether you’re looking for a great tiki drink to serve at a beach-themed backyard party or a spooky drink to serve at a Halloween party, the Zombie answers the call.

More Halloween recipes: Vampiro Drink • Devil’s Margarita • Black Magic Champagne Cocktail

Why you’ll love this recipe

You are going to adore this classic tiki cocktail recipe:

• The Zombie cocktail is beachy, tropical and oh-so-delicious.
• Even though it contains a lot of ingredients, it’s very easy to make at home.
• It’s an excellent classic cocktail every tiki lover should try once.

Though this beachy behemoth of a drink probably tastes best at a seaside tiki bar, you can also enjoy Zombies by the pool, at a backyard luau or even at a Halloween party.

What is the Zombie drink?

The Zombie is a sweet tiki cocktail made with three types of rum, fruit juices, spices and bitters. It’s a complicated cocktail with a long list of ingredients, but it’s not difficult to put together.

Invented in 1934 by Donn Beach — AKA Donn the Beachcomber, often credited for founding tiki culture — the Zombie has a few origin stories.

According to the book Smuggler’s Cove by Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate, one theory suggests Beach created the drink after months of research — and lots of rum. Another story goes that it was a quick concoction he served to a hung-over traveling businessman who needed a drink to get through a tough meeting. Cate wrote:

“Allegedly, the customer later reported back to Donn that he ‘felt like the living dead —it made a zombie out of me!'”

— Smuggler’s Cove by Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate

The Zombie was one of Beach’s most popular cocktails. He even appended the restaurant’s menu to read “limit of two” because the drink was so strong. Beach’s clever marketing ploy dared guests to challenge the limit and purchase more drinks.

Beach was notorious for keeping his recipes a secret, but many bars tried to copy the drink, so there are a number of knock-off recipes out there. Some of the guessed ingredients include passion fruit syrup, orange juice, pineapple juice and apricot brandy.

However, tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry unearthed the original recipe and the complete list of ingredients including Beach’s special ingredient: cinnamon syrup.

Tools & glassware

To make a Zombie, you will need a basic bartending set with a jigger, cocktail shaker and a Hawthorne strainer.

You might also want a skull cocktail pick with which to spear the cocktail cherries.

For glassware, you can really serve it in any highball glass or tiki mug, but a tiki glass will make them feel more on-brand. I used these glasses with tiki designs.

favorite tiki mugs

bamboo tiki glasses

Buy Now →

glass tiki mugs

Buy Now →

ceramic tiki mugs

Buy Now →

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make this Zombie cocktail recipe at home:

• dark rum
• gold rum 
• overproof demerara rum
• fresh lime juice
• fresh grapefruit juice
• falernum
• cinnamon syrup
• grenadine
• angostura bitters
• ice (crushed ice or ice cubes) 
• fresh mint sprig, for garnish
• orange slice, for garnish
• cocktail cherry, for garnish (not a maraschino cherry)

Some recipes will have you finish the drink with a spritz or splash of Pernod, an expensive absinthe. This is optional, but if you have it, go for it!

The original Zombie recipe used a secret ingredient called Donn’s mix, made with sugar, water, grapefruit juice and crushed cinnamon sticks. This recipe uses cinnamon syrup and fresh grapefruit juice instead, but you could replace them with your own Donn’s mix.  

How to make a Zombie cocktail

Even though the ingredient list is long, you can easily make a Zombie drink in a few simple steps:

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine dark rum, gold rum, demerara overproof rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, falernum, cinnamon syrup and grenadine.

Shake well and strain into a tall tiki mug filled with ice.

Top with a dash or two Angostura bitters. If you like, you can add a few drops of absinthe like Pernod as well.

Finally, finish off the drink with garnishes. Spear one or two Luxardo cherries on a cocktail pick and place in the drink. Add some fresh mint and perch an orange slice on the rim of the glass. Serve with a straw if you like. Cheers!

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• For the freshest taste, use fresh citrus juices from lime and grapefruit. (I use an electric juicer.)
• Cut costs and increase flavor by preparing some of your own cocktail ingredients, like cinnamon simple syrup and homemade grenadine. Both are made on the stove: cinnamon syrup by infusing cinnamon sticks with water and sugar, and grenadine with sugar and pomegranate juice. 
• Tiki drinks are famous for their lavish garnishes. Be sure to top your drink off with homemade cocktail cherries, fresh mint and a slice of orange or lime.

What to serve with a Zombie drink

Tiki drinks like the classic Zombie cocktail are delicious with your favorite tropical foods that feature pineapple and coconut.

Start the meal with a Zombie plus a tray of chips and pineapple salsa or fruit salsa. A pineapple cheese ball would also be a great companion.

For dinner, enjoy some popcorn shrimp or grilled Hawaiian chicken.

And for dessert, some coconut tres leches cake or some boozy dole whip.

FAQ

More tiki drinks

• Hurricane
• Painkiller
• Jungle Bird
• Mai Tai