A Zombie Cocktail Recipe – A Great Cocktail

A rum drink that tastes sweet.

Then lands like a sack of bricks.

The origin story (quick and juicy)

In the mid-1930s, Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt) mixed a drink for a friend before a flight to San Francisco.

The friend had three.

He came back saying he felt like a zombie for the whole trip.

That’s the legend behind the name.

Why the Zombie has a reputation

It drinks like fruit juice.

But it’s dangerously strong.

That’s why Don the Beachcomber venues famously limited customers to a small number.

Do you want a cocktail that behaves… or one that breaks the rules?

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Villains Rum Inspired Zombie (our take)

This keeps the classic shape.

But swaps in a Villains edge.

You’ll need (serves 1)

Use 25ml as “1 measure.”

• 25ml dark/spiced-style rum
• 25ml white-style rum (or another lighter rum you use)
• 12.5ml apricot brandy
• 50ml pineapple juice
• 12.5ml lime juice
• 2 tsp powdered sugar (or 15ml simple syrup if you prefer it smoother)

Garnish

• Cocktail cherry
• Pineapple wedge

Optional “proper villain” upgrades (pick one)

• Replace half the pineapple juice with a splash of your caramelised pineapple rum for a deeper burn.
• Add a tiny pinch of chilli (or a 5ml float of chilli spiced rum) for a wicked finish.
• Add a 5ml smoky rum float on top for a “campfire aftertaste.”

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Method

• Add everything (except any float) into a shaker with ice.
• Shake hard for 10–12 seconds.
• Strain into a hurricane glass filled with fresh ice.
• If using a float, pour it gently over the top.
• Garnish with a cherry + pineapple wedge. Add a straw.