The Jungle Bird Cocktail

HISTORY OF THE JUNGLE BIRD

HISTORY OF THE JUNGLE BIRD

The Jungle Bird cocktail was first produced in 1978 at the former KL Hilton’s Aviary Bar in Kuala Lumpur, although John J. Poister’s first traceable Jungle Bird cocktail recipe in “The New American Bartender ‘s Guide” appeared in 1989. The initial recipe contains generic dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime, and simple syrup. Its relatively accessible list of ingredients and simple preparation method make the Jungle Bird a great go-to tropical cocktail for home bartenders.

Cocktails created during the latter half of the twentieth century and beyond tend to be categorized as “Modern Classic Cocktails,” meaning that they have stood the test of time and remain popular, but they can’t be traced back to Prohibition or before. Although this might seem like a thin distinction, it is useful to understand how different categories of cocktails evolve over time (especially the Tiki/tropical drink genre, of which the Jungle Bird is a part).

HOW TO MAKE THE JUNGLE BIRD COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1½oz Dark rum
  • ¾ oz Campari
  • ½ oz simple syrup
  • ½ oz fresh lime juice
  • 1½ oz fresh pineapple juice

GARNISH:
Pineapple wedge or fronds

DIRECTIONS:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients. Shake for about 15-20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and add garnish with a pineapple leaf or a skewered pineapple wedge.

JUNGLE BIRD VARIATIONS

JUNGLE BIRD VARIATIONS

Many bartenders tend to manipulate the rum profile of the Jungle Bird cocktail by using a blend of rums (often Jamaican and/or Black Strap). Other ways to riff on this bitter-sweet Tiki concoction are to use different bitter aperitivi (like Aperol) in place of the Campari or to manipulate the acid and sweetness profiles of the drink by playing with other citrus juices and/or sweeteners. Keep in mind, though, that you really can’t call it a Jungle Bird unless it contains dark rum, a red (bitter) aperitif, pineapple juice, and lime juice.

If, on the other hand, you’d like to try your hand at an advanced mixology technique called “milk clarification,” tune in to Episode 204 of The Modern Bar Cart Podcast to learn how our CEO, Eric, created a bottled, milk clarified Jungle Bird Cocktail for a friend’s wedding. It’s a bit complicated, but with some time and effort, you can produce an outcome as clear and beautiful as the one pictured here.