Birth of a Cocktail: Zombie

Everyone knows the Zombie, arguably the most famous of tiki drinks. So why go to this small hotel bar—Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29--in New Orleans to get one? Because the owner, Jeff Berry, knows the Zombie better than you do. Mr. Berry is a cocktail historian, with a focus on tiki. Not so long ago, people didn’t really know what went into a Zombie, aside from a whole lot of rum. The Zombie you were served at Bar A was very likely rather different from the one you got at Bar B. Mr. Berry uncovered the original 1934 formula. It’s not on the menu (a slightly less lethal version is). But you can order it anyway, and you’ll be sure to get the real McCoy.

From “11 Bars Where a Cocktail Was Born (or Raised)” by Robert Simonson for the New York Times, 2016; Photo by Annene Kaye

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