I would think that the mixed flavors could change over a very long time, but in the short term (which would for me be one nice, hot summer — high Zombie season!) the mix would be just fine. There’s one way to find out, mix a small bottle and see how it holds up. Interesting question, thanks!

Let’s hear it for tiki. Have fun.

Huh, for some reason I think Falernum is easier to make than Orgeat. Maybe it’s because I like watching Falernum steep over the course of a couple of days; but more likely that I just enjoy the spicy flavor profile more than a ‘sweet nut juice.’

As far as the dilution observation goes, I kind of got some immediate respect for the LH151 out of that… I had tried an “oops pour” float with my mai tai just to experiment with it; and it is no joke! It reminds me of the phrase “now you’re cooking with gas!” I also tried sub’ing a 1/2oz of LH151 for the 1oz of dark rum in a navy grog; and that was outstanding! I might try that more often, even if to get more mileage from the bottle… Who knows, I’m just having loads of fun with this tiki drink adventure. Thanks again for you’re wonderful blog Doug!

That’s an interesting observation, that dilution progressively reveals new flavors as the drink ages. And my hat’s off to you for making your own syrups; for some reason, after all these years, I still haven’t made my own falernum. It’s not like it’s hard or anything…

Thanks for the supportive comments, it’s always good to know Cold Glass is helpful.

.

I was wondering if it were the proportions making the difference. Thanks for the update.

Yeah, I can’t explain easily why it’s worse with the cheater mix, but I’ve done enough blind tastings and it’s undeniable. It could honestly be as simple as the proportions being off; I just took the Death and Co. formula as I found it, and it’s very possible that they started with a drink of different proportions. Still, for me, the experimenting can get expensive when using grenadine made from fresh, juiced pomegranates, real absinthe, and Velvet Falernum, which I have to specially order. Using 8 ounces of the stuff was a blow, especially after deciding that it was for an inferior drink. But we live and learn. The Death and Co. version is still drinkable, and cutting back on the Hamilton cures the problem, at a loss of some of the richness of the original.

I’ve seen neither the Gosling’s 151 nor the Hamilton 151 in my market, those are both new to me. I always struggle with 151 substitutions, trying to figure out if the flavor profile or the proof is the important issue. I really like the Demerara flavor profile, so the disappearance of Lemon Hart’s 151 is very unfortunate. For now, I’m using the Plantation 146, but it’s a very different rum. Hamilton sounds like a very likely LH substitute, and I look forward to finding a bottle.

But the most interesting thing is that Zombie pre-mix. It’s hard to imagine what goes wrong there. It’s not like there’s citrus going bad or something. Very peculiar.

There are plenty of mysteries in the cocktail world.

And my hat is off to you and your enviable rum collection. Thanks!

Anyway, sorry for rambling here. I hope my new habit of leaving long, rambling posts on your blog posts isn’t too much of a nuisance.

I agree—”Don’s Mix” is the memorable flavor profile of the Zombie. And lots of rum.

You are, as my mother used to say, “a glutton for punishment,” DJ. It’s definitely a pantry full of rum—and a basket full of fruit—to build a tiki repertoire. That’s quite a starting point. My hat is off to you.

Tiki was actually my gateway into cocktails… the barrier to entry was a bit high. I owned a dozen different types of rum before I bought my first bottle of bourbon.

I know what you mean about the Puerto Rican rums—there doesn’t seem to be much “there” there. El Dorado would be a fun substitution; I would think it would go nicely with the LH151.

The Allspice liqueur is worth it..works a lot of ways. We use it a bit in holiday drinks to add winter spice notes…

For Zombies and many other tiki drinks we use the lemon hart 151, Appleton 12 year old and El Dorado gold (we are big fans of the Eldorado white and gold). We also play around with Barbancourt 8 yr old and Flor de Cana gold in many recipes.

We just aren’t as big of fans of Puerto Rican rum….and will usually sub the el dorado…

Thanks. I’ve never tried the Ancient Mariner. It looks like a good drink, and now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ll just have to give it a try. (So there’s the excuse to try yet another ingredient, the pimento / allspice liqueur…)

By the way: what rums do you and your friends prefer in the Zombie?

Sounds like a very pleasant memory. Coconut pineapple ice cream? Yes, please…

Oh the little foot bridge on the way into the restaurant, the net with glass floats. My friends and I always ordered the shrimp salad and the punch that was served (without rum) in a hollowed out pineapple (with fruit and an umbrella). For dessert it was always coconut pineapple ice cream. I have never found any that tasted as good.

What do you remember most about the Kon-Tiki?

Thanks, and I know what you mean about these ingredient lists. These drinks can seem both fussy and expensive. It’s taken me a long time to get around to writing up Zombie Punch for exactly those reasons. The drink is delicious; making it is annoying.

I suppose I could have thought more like Tom Sawyer, and thrown a party where everyone else brought the ingredients…