Who created the original Zombie cocktail at the Don the Beachcomber bar?

Donn Beach created the original Zombie cocktail at his Don the Beachcomber bar.

Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, developed the drink in Hollywood in the 1930s. Don the Beachcomber became an influential tiki restaurant and helped popularize elaborate Polynesian-themed cocktails in the United States.

The Zombie is a potent rum cocktail that can include several rums, fruit juices, liqueurs and syrups. Beach reportedly kept the recipe secret, and early versions were carefully controlled because of their high alcohol content. Later published recipes often differ substantially from the original.

The drink’s name helped establish the dramatic style associated with tiki cocktails, but it should not be confused with a single universally standardized formula. “Zombie” recipes vary among bars and books. The historically specific fact is that Donn Beach created the original drink in the Don the Beachcomber tradition.