contemporary · shaken
Zombie recipe
A potent tiki blend of rums, lime, falernum and grenadine.
A Zombie is 45 ml (42.3 g) Dark Rum, 45 ml (42.3 g) Gold Rum, 30 ml (27.9 g) Overproof Rum, 20 ml (20.6 g) Fresh Lime Juice, 15 ml (15.8 g) Falernum, 10 ml (11.8 g) Grenadine and 1 ml (1 g) Angostura Bitters, shaken and served in a hurricane glass. It pours to about 166 ml before ice, at roughly 34.3% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasshurricane glass
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume166 ml
- Strength (est.)34.3% ABV
- Time7 min
Zombie ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Rum | 45 ml | 42.3 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Gold Rum | 45 ml | 42.3 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Overproof Rum | 30 ml | 27.9 g | 0.93 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Fresh Lime Juice | 20 ml | 20.6 g | 1.03 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Falernum | 15 ml | 15.8 g | 1.05 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Grenadine | 10 ml | 11.8 g | 1.18 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Angostura Bitters | 1 ml | — | 0.98 | 1 dash |
How to make a Zombie
- Set your hurricane glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add Dark Rum, Gold Rum, Overproof Rum, Fresh Lime Juice, Falernum, Grenadine and Angostura Bitters to a shaker, weighing each ingredient rather than eyeballing a jigger.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled hurricane glass.
Zombie: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Zombie?
Roughly 34.3% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Strong. This is a stirred, undiluted-style drink — one is a full measure.
What glass should a Zombie be served in?
A hurricane glass. Fill it with fresh ice, not the ice you mixed with.
Can I make a Zombie without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
Why are some ingredients not weighed?
Dashes of bitters and rinses are too small to weigh reliably — a dash is roughly 0.8 ml, well inside the noise of any bar scale. Count them instead. Everything else in this Zombie is weighed.
If you like the Zombie
Three Dots and a Dash
A Donn Beach tiki classic — rum, citrus, falernum and honey.
Mai Tai
Trader Vic's original. Rum, orgeat, lime — no juice.
Planter's Punch
Dark rum, citrus and juices with grenadine and bitters.
IBA Tiki
A modern tiki blend of rums, lime, orgeat and orange.
Old Cuban
Audrey Saunders' aged-rum mojito, topped with sparkling wine.
Daiquiri
White rum, lime, sugar. The benchmark for balance.