The Zombie was created in 1934 by rum connoisseur and tiki pioneer Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, more often Donn Beach, at his South Pacific style Hollywood restaurant Don the Beachcomber. This drink was probably one of the starting points of the Tiki craze that swept over the US from the 1930s and on and it is a testament to his philosophy that “If you can’t get to paradise, I’ll bring it to you.”

The recipe was so secret Donn’s bartenders didn’t even know what was in the drink. The bottles they used were labeled only with numbers. This and the fact that Donn Beach changed the recipe several times over the years makes it very difficult recreate the original 1934 recipe. After years of detective work however Tiki historian, bar owner and cocktail book author Jeff “Beachbum” Berry was finally able to come as close to the original as possible.

Considering how potent the Zombie is it might be good to follow Donn Beach’s instructions never to let his customers have more than two Zombies. He said “Any more could make you “like the walking dead.”

The Knickerbocker glass was designed in 1933 by Arthur Douglas Nash and Edwin W. Fuerst.

Product information

This is one in a series of illustrations of classic cocktail recipes with a selection of the most beautifully designed glasses.

The size 40x50 cm (approx 16x20”) are signed and printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White 310g archival paper and are sold in a limited edition of 50 prints.

The size 30x40 cm (approx 12x16”) are printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art Studio Enhanced 210g archival paper.