Zombie

The Zombie is one of the legends of tiki. Donn Beach created it at his Hollywood bar, Don the Beachcomber, in the 1930s, and legend has it he mixed the first one for a customer who needed to get through a business meeting after a rough night. The customer came back days later to say it had turned him into a zombie for his whole trip, and the name stuck. Beach took the drink seriously enough to limit guests to two per visit.

That limit was not just marketing. The Zombie stacks several rums on top of each other and finishes with a float of overproof, so it is far stronger than its tropical fruit flavor lets on. This version leans into that: light and dark rum, a splash of vodka and apricot brandy, blended with lime, orange and pineapple juice, then crowned with a float of 151-proof rum. It comes out frosty, fruity and deceptively easy to drink.

Beach famously kept his original recipe secret, writing parts of it in code even for his own bartenders, so countless versions spread across tiki bars over the decades. Almost all of them share the same idea of a lot of rum, a lot of fruit and a warning label. It remains one of the bestselling classic cocktails at the world’s top bars today.

Glass: Collins glass | Strength: Strong | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bartenders tip: Float the 151 slowly over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on top rather than mixing in, which gives the first sip a rich, rummy kick. Never light the float, since overproof rum burns easily and a flaming glass is not worth the risk. Fresh lime juice makes a big difference against all that rum. And take Donn Beach’s advice: stop at two.