Jungle Bird recipe
Campari in a tiki drink — sounds wrong, tastes incredible. The bitter-tropical mashup nobody expected.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Rocks glass or tiki mug ·
Time: 2 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: Tiki & Tropical
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Dark Rum (Blackstrap or Jamaican — Myers's works)
- 0.75 oz Campari
- 1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
- 0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Demerara Syrup
How to make a Jungle Bird
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12-15 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice (or a tiki mug with crushed ice).
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Garnish
Pineapple wedge.
Pro tip
The Campari is what makes this special — it cuts through the tropical sweetness and adds a grown-up bitterness. Don't reduce it. If you find it too bitter, add a little more pineapple juice rather than less Campari. The tension between bitter and tropical IS the drink.
History of the Jungle Bird
Created in 1978 at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton's Aviary Bar in Malaysia. It was largely unknown outside of tiki enthusiast circles until bartender Giuseppe Gonzalez put it on the menu at Painkiller in New York around 2010. Now it's considered one of the best modern tiki drinks.
Flavour profile
Bitter, Tropical, Pineapple, Complex
Variations
- Jungle Bird Frozen — Blend with ice for a slushy version
- Naked and Famous — Mezcal, Aperol, Yellow Chartreuse, lime — similar bitter-spirit concept
- Kingston Negroni — Jamaican rum, Campari, sweet vermouth — the stirred cousin
Practise making the Jungle Bird in the free Virtual Bar game.