The Original ZOMBIE Tiki Cocktail Recipe

Invented in 1934 by Donn Beach (formerly Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt) below is the original Zombie recipe that was served at his flagship Don the Beachcomber's in Hollywood. The Zombie became world famous when it was introduced at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
There are many recipes for the Zombie, several from Donn Beach himself, but according to Jeff "Beachbum" Berry the complete original recipe is below. It is a true post war mainland Tiki culture drink, complex in nature and made with mostly rum, fresh fruit juices with an additional sweetener from a spice and nut based syrup. The Zombie is deceptively easy to drink but it's a dangerously strong punch-like cocktail, so strong that Donn Beach would never allow more than 2 to be served to a customer.
I made one change and replaced the recipe's half an ounce of "Don's Mix #2" (2 parts grapefruit juice to 1 part cinnamon-infused sugar syrup) with 2 simpler ingredients so you don't have to make a whole bottle of a weird ingredient like cinnamon infused grapefruit syrup.  The "Don's Mix #2" combo was part of Beach's drink recipe security. He would create syrups & mixer combinations that only he and a trusted few knew to make it harder for competitors and ex-Beachcomber bartenders to steal his drink recipes.

THEZOMBIE
INGREDIENTS3/4 C. Crushed Ice3/4 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice1/2 Oz. Falernum1-1/2 Oz. Gold Puerto Rican Rum1-1/2 Oz. Dark Jamaican Rum1 Oz. 151 Overproof Demerara Rum2 Tsp. Grenadine6 Drops PernodDash of Angostura Bitters1/2 Oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon Syrup
DIRECTIONSBlend until smooth, pour into a tall slim zombie glass, top off with additional ice if desired, then garnish with a grapefruit slice and a cocktail cherry, add biodegradable straws and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

World Zombie Day is October 8th. Zombie Awareness Month is in May.
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

RAMOS GIN FIZZ aka NEW ORLEANS FIZZ Cocktail Recipe

Originally called a New Orleans Fizz, the Ramos Fizz was invented by Henry C. Ramos as his "One and Only One" in New Orleans in 1888. Back in the good old days, at the height of the Ramos' popularity (and before blenders), Ramos insisted you needed to shake the Ramos Fizz for a full 15 minutes as this was what was required to create the meringue like consistency of the cocktail. As this is pretty much an impossible task for one person, plus very time consuming, he hired "shaker boys" for the tedious task.

There is a famous story where one bar lined up 15 shaker boys and sent the cocktail down the line because one shaker boy could not shake a cocktail longer than a minute without his arms seizing up. Now you understand why modern bartenders cheat and use a blender. Thank goodness for mod-cons!
When The Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans purchased the rights to the Ramos GIN Fizz in 1935 they trademarked it, promoted it and ensured the drink's position in the lexicon of classic cocktails. It didn't hurt that then Governor Huey Long loved the Ramos and brought his fondness along on his travels, spreading the recipe along.
At exactly midnight on October 27th, 1929,Ramos (always opposed to drunkenness and in support of the upcoming Prohibition) stated, "I've sold my last gin fizz", closed his saloon and retired with his closely guarded original recipe. Ramos finally shared the recipe with a reporter who "had the brass nerve" to ask for it just before his death in 1928.
RAMOS' ORIGINAL GIN FIZZ RECIPE1 tbsp powdered sugar, 3 - 4 drops of orange flower water, the juice of half a lime, the juice of half  a lemon, one jigger of Old Tom Gin, 1 egg white, 1/2 glass of crushed ice, 2 tbsp. of cream, a little seltzer water; well shaken and strained.
Interesting to note that recipe did not include any vanilla extract and there's a huge debate over its inclusion in the drink. There's no way of ever knowing whether Ramos used vanilla extract and excluded the ingredient from his recipe on purpose or just didn't ever use the vanilla in his recipe. I personally prefer the no vanilla recipe.

THERAMOSGIN FIZZ
INGREDIENTS1-1/2 Oz. Old Tom Gin2 Oz. Heavy Cream1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar1/2 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice1/2 Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice2 Dashes Orange Flower Water2 Tbsp. Pasteurized Egg White 1 Oz. Chilled Soda Water
Garnish: 1 Dash Orange Flower Water, Orange Slice
DIRECTIONSUsing The Reverse Dry Shake Method1. Add the gin, cream, powdered sugar, both juices and 2 dashes of Orange Flower Water to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake 20 seconds to chill.2. Strain out the mixture into another shaker with NO ICE. Add your egg white and DRY SHAKE for 90 minutes.*3. Pour into a chilled 12 ounce Collins glass. Slowly add the chilled soda to lift the meringue just above the glass.4. Tap on the Orange Blossom Water, garnish with a slice of orange and serve with a straw. If your straw stands up in the middle of your drink you have successfully made your Ramos Gin Fizz.
*I have shoulder problems so at the second step I strain my drink into a Boston shaker and use my immersion blender to emulsify the cocktail and build the foam. Call it cheating but it works and I don't reinjure my rotater cuffs.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

August 7th is Henry C. Ramos birthday.National Henry C. Ramos Day is October 27th.
Get the RAMOS GIN FIZZ COCKTAIL RECIPE ART on Posters & Prints, Party & Bar Supplies, Cards & More:

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:the Cherry Diamond Fizz,the Golden Ramos Fizz andthe Absinthe Minded Leprechaun.
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY