Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here’s how to make the Aku-Aku Zombie, a remix of a tiki classic. Just like the original 1934 recipe, this 1964 recipe comes from Don the Beachcomber and is made with Cuban rum, Jamaican rum, 151 Demerara rum, lime, grapefruit, cinnamon syrup, falernum, grenadine, absinthe curaçao, aromatic bitters and mint for garnish. It's the same ingredients, only rebalanced and with a little added curaçao.
The Aku-Aku was a tiki lounge that opened in the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas in 1960. Donn Beach was commissioned by the hotel to create the menu and curate look and feel of the lounge. This recipe came from an ex-employee at the Aku-Aku and was given to a Wall Street Journal columnist, Eric Felton, in 1964. Finally, it was published in Beachbum Berry's Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks.
It's an interesting evolution from Donn Beach's original 1934 recipe that Beachbum Berry was able to dig up. Virtually the same ingredients, but the measurements were simplified immensely.
The gold Cuban (or Puerto Rican) rum and the dark Jamaican rum should be pretty easy to come by for most people. The 151 Demerara can be challenging. Hamilton and Lemon Hart make excellent expressions, but it can be hard to find in some places. Don't let this stress you out too much. The idea was to create a blending of rums that couldn't be found in a single rum. You get the dryness with the Cuban, the funky hogo from the Jamaican and a thick base of burnt molasses woodiness of the 151 Demerara.
If you can't find 151 Demerara, try using another Demerara rum that's in the 80-proof range, just double the amount (so 1.5 oz or 45 ml). It's going to be pretty close. If you have an overproof blend (OFTD, Hamilton Navy, Pusser's Navy) that uses Guyanese (Demerara) rum in it, that will work. In that case, use the prescribed 0.75 oz (22 ml) pour. If you can't get ahold of either of those, just sub in a 7-10 year rum that's on the drier side. Barbancourt 8, Doorly's 8, Mount Gay Black Barrel, something like that.
The other elusive ingredient is the white grapefruit juice. You'll have better luck finding them at farmer's markets than supermarkets. But if you can't find white grapefruit, just sub in pink. Steer clear of red if you can avoid it.
As for the Zombie Mix, it is possible with a steady hand to measure out a precise 1/8 tsp (0.6 ml), but it's too much of a pain. Just batch it and have it ready to go. The drink really is best with Donn's intended amount. I tried doubling it and it was too much. It's crazy, but it's true.
This drink is kind of crazy. It's everything you love about the 1934 Zombie, only easier to make. It's not as boozy, but it has a bigger punch of spice, which makes it an exciting alternative. If you've got the ingredients for a Zombie, I'm guessing you have an orange liqueur handy, so you can make this one pretty easily. Do it. I think you'll love it. Okole Maluna!
Recipe:
0.75 oz (22 ml) Cuban (or Puerto Rican) Gold Rum
0.75 oz (22 ml) Jamaican Dark Rum
0.75 oz (22 ml) 151 Demerara Rum
0.75 oz (22 ml) lime juice
0.75 oz (22 ml) grapefruit juice (preferably white)
0.75 oz (22 ml) cinnamon syrup
0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) Zombie Mix
1 dash aromatic bitters
4 oz (118 ml) crushed ice (plus more for to fill your glass)
garnish mint sprigs
Shake all (except garnish) with crushed ice. Fill a tiki mug or 14 oz Zombie Glass with more crushed ice and pour the drink unstrained into the mug. Garnish with Mint.
Zombie Mix:
1 part curaçao
1 part absinthe
1 part falernum
1 part grenadine
Music:
Surf Madness by Elliot Holmes
Packs of Savage Dogs by Dream Cave
The Haunting by Farrell Wooten
Partner of Doom by Walt Adams
via Epidemic Sound
Kiss Me Deadly by Foxy Basey
Blood on the Prairie by MusicBox
via JinglePunks
Support this channel & get the Zombie Mix label here:
patreon.com/DistinguishedSpirits
Check out my podcast:
bit.ly/grindhousepod
Featured in this Episode:
Panama Pacific 9-Year Rum
bit.ly/2fUSSDr
Hamilton Jamaica Black Rum
bit.ly/2nEaBl0
Hamilton 151 Demerara Rum
bit.ly/2y8fSJA
Copper & Kings Absinthe Blanche
bit.ly/2pTFT8b
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
bit.ly/2ox8eE1
Angostura Bitters
amzn.to/2TDZOJc
Beachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berry
amzn.to/2sMKNL1
White Zombie (1932)
youtu.be/HR-vlWp6WHo
amzn.to/2HJIIqD
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
youtu.be/BHH5bItMK6U
amzn.to/3kHj30g
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
youtu.be/_0eAvZIX5Zk
amzn.to/3elk2B3
Bar Tools:
Doom Altar Tiki Mug by Trader Brandon
bit.ly/3mBN2Y4
1oz (30ml) Cork Jar Glass Bottles (Zombie Mix Vials)
amzn.to/34GlOJJ
Japanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Black
amzn.to/2MWNFgC
Koriko Weighted Shaker Set
amzn.to/2wv8jdw
Fine Mesh Strainer
amzn.to/2BWZKhl
Citrus Juicer (Lime)
amzn.to/1YKJ4u1
Breville Juicer
amzn.to/2srWJPZ
Lewis Bag & Ice Mallet
amzn.to/2nz12CK
Here’s how to make the Aku-Aku Zombie, a remix of a tiki classic. Just like the original 1934 recipe, this 1964 recipe comes from Don the Beachcomber and is made with Cuban rum, Jamaican rum, 151 Demerara rum, lime, grapefruit, cinnamon syrup, falernum, grenadine, absinthe curaçao, aromatic bitters and mint for garnish. It's the same ingredients, only rebalanced and with a little added curaçao.
The Aku-Aku was a tiki lounge that opened in the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas in 1960. Donn Beach was commissioned by the hotel to create the menu and curate look and feel of the lounge. This recipe came from an ex-employee at the Aku-Aku and was given to a Wall Street Journal columnist, Eric Felton, in 1964. Finally, it was published in Beachbum Berry's Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks.
It's an interesting evolution from Donn Beach's original 1934 recipe that Beachbum Berry was able to dig up. Virtually the same ingredients, but the measurements were simplified immensely.
The gold Cuban (or Puerto Rican) rum and the dark Jamaican rum should be pretty easy to come by for most people. The 151 Demerara can be challenging. Hamilton and Lemon Hart make excellent expressions, but it can be hard to find in some places. Don't let this stress you out too much. The idea was to create a blending of rums that couldn't be found in a single rum. You get the dryness with the Cuban, the funky hogo from the Jamaican and a thick base of burnt molasses woodiness of the 151 Demerara.
If you can't find 151 Demerara, try using another Demerara rum that's in the 80-proof range, just double the amount (so 1.5 oz or 45 ml). It's going to be pretty close. If you have an overproof blend (OFTD, Hamilton Navy, Pusser's Navy) that uses Guyanese (Demerara) rum in it, that will work. In that case, use the prescribed 0.75 oz (22 ml) pour. If you can't get ahold of either of those, just sub in a 7-10 year rum that's on the drier side. Barbancourt 8, Doorly's 8, Mount Gay Black Barrel, something like that.
The other elusive ingredient is the white grapefruit juice. You'll have better luck finding them at farmer's markets than supermarkets. But if you can't find white grapefruit, just sub in pink. Steer clear of red if you can avoid it.
As for the Zombie Mix, it is possible with a steady hand to measure out a precise 1/8 tsp (0.6 ml), but it's too much of a pain. Just batch it and have it ready to go. The drink really is best with Donn's intended amount. I tried doubling it and it was too much. It's crazy, but it's true.
This drink is kind of crazy. It's everything you love about the 1934 Zombie, only easier to make. It's not as boozy, but it has a bigger punch of spice, which makes it an exciting alternative. If you've got the ingredients for a Zombie, I'm guessing you have an orange liqueur handy, so you can make this one pretty easily. Do it. I think you'll love it. Okole Maluna!
Recipe:
0.75 oz (22 ml) Cuban (or Puerto Rican) Gold Rum
0.75 oz (22 ml) Jamaican Dark Rum
0.75 oz (22 ml) 151 Demerara Rum
0.75 oz (22 ml) lime juice
0.75 oz (22 ml) grapefruit juice (preferably white)
0.75 oz (22 ml) cinnamon syrup
0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) Zombie Mix
1 dash aromatic bitters
4 oz (118 ml) crushed ice (plus more for to fill your glass)
garnish mint sprigs
Shake all (except garnish) with crushed ice. Fill a tiki mug or 14 oz Zombie Glass with more crushed ice and pour the drink unstrained into the mug. Garnish with Mint.
Zombie Mix:
1 part curaçao
1 part absinthe
1 part falernum
1 part grenadine
Music:
Surf Madness by Elliot Holmes
Packs of Savage Dogs by Dream Cave
The Haunting by Farrell Wooten
Partner of Doom by Walt Adams
via Epidemic Sound
Kiss Me Deadly by Foxy Basey
Blood on the Prairie by MusicBox
via JinglePunks
Support this channel & get the Zombie Mix label here:
patreon.com/DistinguishedSpirits
Check out my podcast:
bit.ly/grindhousepod
Featured in this Episode:
Panama Pacific 9-Year Rum
bit.ly/2fUSSDr
Hamilton Jamaica Black Rum
bit.ly/2nEaBl0
Hamilton 151 Demerara Rum
bit.ly/2y8fSJA
Copper & Kings Absinthe Blanche
bit.ly/2pTFT8b
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
bit.ly/2ox8eE1
Angostura Bitters
amzn.to/2TDZOJc
Beachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berry
amzn.to/2sMKNL1
White Zombie (1932)
youtu.be/HR-vlWp6WHo
amzn.to/2HJIIqD
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
youtu.be/BHH5bItMK6U
amzn.to/3kHj30g
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
youtu.be/_0eAvZIX5Zk
amzn.to/3elk2B3
Bar Tools:
Doom Altar Tiki Mug by Trader Brandon
bit.ly/3mBN2Y4
1oz (30ml) Cork Jar Glass Bottles (Zombie Mix Vials)
amzn.to/34GlOJJ
Japanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Black
amzn.to/2MWNFgC
Koriko Weighted Shaker Set
amzn.to/2wv8jdw
Fine Mesh Strainer
amzn.to/2BWZKhl
Citrus Juicer (Lime)
amzn.to/1YKJ4u1
Breville Juicer
amzn.to/2srWJPZ
Lewis Bag & Ice Mallet
amzn.to/2nz12CK
