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Recipe: Donn Beach via Jeff Berry

Photo: Matthew Wyne

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Zombie

1 1/2 oz gold rum

1 1/2 oz aged Jamaican rum

1 oz overproof Demerara rum

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur

6 drops St. George Absinthe Verte

teaspoon grenadine

dash Angostura bitters

This is the drink that put the godfather of Tiki, Donn Beach, on the map—or all over the map, as there were 16 bars and restaurants in the Beachcomber name at the height of his fame. The magical words “only two to a customer” ensured the drink both popularity and press. Like many Donn Beach recipes, this one is extensive and contains a proprietary ingredient. Known as “Don’s Mix” (which itself features another secret blend known as “Don’s Spices”) its recipe remained secret until Tiki revivalist and historian Jeff Berry found Beachcomber head waiter Dick Santiago’s notebook in the mid-aughts. As it turns out, St. George Spiced Pear liqueur, with its whole clove and cinnamon, works beautifully as a substitute for “Don’s Mix.” It simplifies the recipe a bit while adding its own unique spin by replacing the grapefruit of the original with pear. To mix, add liquid ingredients to a blender with 6 ounces of crushed ice. Blend for a quick 5 seconds, then pour into a tall glass and garnish with mint.

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