So here`s Tiki month again! you know february is tiki month right? at least it is on the Pegu blog which every february since 8 years, turns into a tiki blog for one month. And I always follow suit even though every month is tiki month for me 🙂
The other day I read his first post where he talks about the tiki-transformation of his basement bar where he have installed a freakin`VOLCANO! it erupts too….you can see it here in this video, I think this volcano is brilliant! and he built it himself. That`s pretty freakin`cool isn`t it?
So since we are in the tiki month that requires me to post up something…and I have a drink that seems to keep living on despite it was back in 2009 I made it for the Mixoloseum TDN (Thursday Drink Night) when the theme was Zombie, so I posted it and then forgot about it, until years later I heard it was served at the former PKNY in New York.
Then a couple years after that it was found in the book the “Zombie Horde” by the Professor Cocktail (David J Montgomery) a whole book dedicated ONLY to the Zombie drink with no less than 86 different Zombie and Zombie style recipes included, spanning from Don the Beachcombers 1934 Zombie Punch and over the years to more modern takes in 2013.
Now in 2016 a new version of it has emerged…a fabulous take on this drink elevating it to new levels of booze heights – or rather 2 new versions has emerged, because there´s also a version of the 2016 which transforms the focus from coconut to banana…
Yeah we are geeks here…
This is obviously a drink you can have fun and tinker with a lot! it`s not a traditional Zombie per se, not really, because ther isn`t much it has in common with say the 1934 Zombie Punch but it´s  more a “Zombie-like” drink and the name “Guyana Zombie” due to the demerara rum content has stuck with it.
The 2016 version is made by none other than Tacoma Cabanas tiki master and fire wizard, Jason Alexander and he has invented a fantastic thing called “Spiced Coconut Honey” which is crazy good! so what i`m gonna do for this tiki month is posting up these drinks including pics of Jason`s earlier takes on this drink which he made at the Tacoma because I think they look beautiful.
Then there´s another drink worth a mention, Jason`s Colada Noir…
Guyana Zombie (my origial version from 2009)
2 oz demerara rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz honey-mix
1 tsp cream of coconut
0.5 oz fresh lime
A decent float of 151 demerara
Serve in goblet or other glass (or tiki mug) with crushed ice.
Blend with crushed ice at high speed for 5 sek. Pour into goblet with more crushed ice. Garnish with a little pinch of sprinkled demerara sugar, lime wedge and brandied cherry.
It`s boozy and full flavored in that kinda way that makes you feel satisfied but you still want more…
Next up is Jason`s brilliantly updated version, and now the cream of coconut and honey-mix has given way to “spiced coconut honey” and a dash of falernum makes it`s way with some extra zest:
2016 Guyana Zombie
A dash or two of Angostura bitters
3/4 oz lime
3/4 oz pineapple
1 oz Spiced Coconut Honey*
1/4 oz falernum
2 oz demerara rum
1 oz float of demerara 151
*Spiced Coconut Honey
9 oz Cream of Coconut (Lopez or Real)
9 oz Honey (not syrup!)
6 oz cinnamon syrup
3 oz Spices #2 (equal parts vanilla syrup and allspice liqueur)
Blend at high speed 5 sek or shake with ice, Pour into a snifter or fancy tiki glass or mug.
It´s a very tasty drink, no doubt!
I also made a version of this with banana syrup switching the flavor focus from coconut to banana. It turned out great! coconut, banana and pineapple they go very well together….
Guyana Banana Zombie
Served in one of Wim Thieleman`s fantastic tiki mugs the Marquesan Coconut!
A dash or two of Angostura bitters
3/4 oz lime
3/4 oz pineapple
1 oz Banana syrup
1/4 oz falernum
2Â oz Hamilton Guyana
1 oz float of Cruzan Blackstrap
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a glass or tiki mug filled with crushed ice and garnsih with a piece of pineapple and tropical orchid.
And here is two of Jason`s takes on the original Guyana Zombie, made at Tacoma where this drink was very appreciated and no wonder when not only does it taste good, he makes them so pretty!
Colada Noir
Also at Tacoma Cabana, Jason created a stunning version of the Pina Colada calling it Colada Noir…it´s the darker side of the normally so innocent Pina Colada…
Dash angostura
1/2 oz lime
3/4 oz Cream of Coconut
3/4 oz Swedish Punsch
2 oz Pineapple juice
2 oz Rational Spirits Santeria (or Smith and Cross rum)
Shake with ice and strain into a tiki glass – and you may set it on fire too!
Which Jason did….and here´s a video in slow motion when Jason makes the flames filmed by Matt Pietrek aka Cocktailwonk. I`m totally mezmerized by this video…..it´s something hypnotic over fire filmed in slow motion and where the sound is like it´s coming from some mystic underworld…
And finally…I made a version of the Colada Noir but using banana syrup because I wanted to see how it tasted, i`m in love with banana syrup! I nowadays find myself “bananaize” a lot of drinks…good drinks to use banana syrup in are the Coladas, Boo Loo, Coconauts and drinks with citrus and tropical fruit juices as well as tiki drinks containing coffee which I shall post about soon.
Colada Noir Banane
0.5 oz lime juice
0.75 oz Cream of Coconut
0.5 oz strong Kona coffee (or Blue Mountain (Jamaica) or Community Coffee (New Orleans) brewed then cooled.
0.5 oz banana syrup
2 oz Rational Spirits Santeria (or Smith and Cross rum)
2 oz Pineapple juice
Blend in blender at high speed 5 sec with 1 cup crushed ice and pour into a snifter.
Fill up with more crushed ice if needed and garnish with a pineapple leaf and tropical orchid.
You can shake it too of course, but it gets more froothy with a blender.
Stay Tropical!
Disclaimer – I may be the brand ambassador for Rational Spirits but this specific post is a post for the Tiki month as A Mountain of Crushed Ice.
Oh I didn`t see that when I copied the recipe, it´s of course “Cream of Coconut” like Lopez or Real and not “Coconut Cream”, I will update that in the post because there´s a huge difference between the two!
Thanks for the heads up Drew and happy mixing!
Aloha
Nice post!
A question regarding the Spiced Coconut Honey, you mention Coconut Cream as an ingredient is this the unsweetened product or are you referring to Cream of Coconut IE Coco Lopez, or Coco Real. I only ask because Cream of Coconut is referred to specifically in the Guyana Zombie recipe.
Chris, thanks! i`m happy if I can inspire someone!
Paul, the Spiced Coconut honey is liquid honey! in the recipe, with “not syrup” Jason means not honey-syrup like 1:1 honey and water, but just pure liquid honey!
As for the coffee, yes brewed and then chilled. I have updated that now in the post.
Show ’em no mercy, Tiare!
A few questions: For the Spiced Coconut Honey you specify “not syrup”. Do you mean you should use solid honey, or do you mean just don’t use “pancake syrup” like?
Second, in the Colada Noir Banane, when you add the coffee as an ingredient, do you mean already brewed liquid coffee, or add the beans/grounds directly to the blender?
I’m buying that Zombie book!
Delicious! Another awesome post that has me inspired for Saturday night.