A Toast to Tiki’s Timeless Classic.

The Zombie cocktail is a legend born of rum, mystery, and excess. Created in the 1930s by Donn Beach, the godfather of tiki culture, the drink was designed to be both delicious and dangerously potent. Its name came naturally—after one or two, patrons reportedly felt like the walking dead. The original recipe was a guarded secret, made with a mix of rums, tropical fruit juices, and a touch of spice that defined the escapist allure of mid-century Polynesian pop culture. Served in an exotic Tropical; Cocktail Glass and crowned with mint or flaming garnishes, the Zombie became a symbol of tiki’s theatrical flair and America’s post-Prohibition thirst for adventure.

Behind its kitschy charm, however, the Zombie represents serious craft. Donn Beach’s original formula was a complex balance of flavors, layered with precision and discipline that modern bartenders still study and respect. Today, as tiki culture experiences a revival, the Zombie has returned to menus not just as a novelty, but as a piece of cocktail history—a bold reminder that the best drinks tell stories, mix myth with mastery, and blur the line between paradise and peril.

Unearth a world of vintage-style glassware, classic barware, and retro drinkware curated for cocktail connoisseurs and home bar collectors at Barware Essentials. Whether you're searching for a distinctive gift or elevating your home bar collection, each piece tells a story with every pour.