An aqueous bath suitable for electrodepositing zinc and alloys of zinc including zinc-nickel, zinc-cobalt, zinc-nickel-cobalt, zinc-iron, zinc-iron-nickel, and zinc-iron-cobalt containing a brightening amount of an AB-type polyamide brightener in an amount effective to produce an electrodeposit of the desired brightness. The invention further contemplates the process of electrodepositing zinc and zinc alloys of the foregoing types on a conductive substrate employing the aqueous electrolyte.