The Jungle Bird Cocktail is the grown-up fruity cocktail you’ve been looking for! It’s a tropical and refreshing rum and pineapple drink that’s balanced with the subtle bitter qualities of Campari.
What makes the jungle bird drink different from other rum and pineapple cocktails is the addition of Campari. You normally find this bitter Italian aperitif in classic sipping cocktails, like the Negroni and Boulevardier.
Here, it’s paired with tropical flavors like rum, pineapple juice, and lime juice, giving the jungle bird all of the right notes: sweet, bitter, tart, sour, and fruity.
Enjoy this easy sipper during summer parties, tiki nights, or whenever you’re craving an out-of-this-world fruity cocktail!
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Jungle Bird cocktail history
The jungle bird is a drink that encapsulates fun, color, and the tropics. It was invented by Jeffrey Ong at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur during the 1970s when it was served as a welcome drink for guests. He put the original recipe together in the hotel’s bar, Aviary Bar, and served it in a bird-shaped glass, coining the name, “jungle bird”!
The recipe hasn’t changed much since its invention. According to Liquor.com, some bartenders have adjusted the amount of pineapple juice and played around with the rum to help customize and balance each sip.
You can easily play with it to find your perfect recipe as well. Add more or less alcohol, muddle fresh fruit in the glass, or use demerara syrup for a richer flavor.
Ingredient notes
The ingredients in a jungle bird are close to what you would find in most tropical rum cocktails. There is, however, one secret ingredient that gives this drink its sensational complexity:
- Dark rum – See more below on our favorite rums to use.
- Pineapple juice – Because it just wouldn’t be a tropical cocktail without the pineapple juice! Canned pineapple juice is a great-tasting choice with a long shelf life but you can’t beat the refreshing qualities of fresh pineapple juice. Just make sure to drink it the day you buy it as it can go bad quickly.
- Campari – Campari is a low-alcohol Italian aperitif that gives this cocktail an orange-red color and subtle bitter flavor. You can use Aperol if you don’t love the taste of Campari (check out my Campari vs. Aperol guide to learn more about the differences between these two aperitifs).
- Lime juice – Try to use freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Simple syrup – This classic cocktail ingredient is easy to make at home by simmering sugar and water together. It adds some sweetness, but mostly balances every sip. For a flavor twist, try swapping in this Honey Simple Syrup.
The best rum to use
The best rum for a jungle bird is dark Jamaican rum because of its rich and deep flavors. Any mid-priced brand will work, like Appleton Estate or Myers’s Original. If you’re new to the world of rum, use this guide from Taste of Home to find the best brand for you.
How to make it
Pour all of the cocktail ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Seal the lid on top and shake until the outside feels very cold.
Strain the cocktail into a glass (preferably a festive tiki glass) with ice. Add the jungle bird garnish on top and enjoy!
How to make a jungle bird garnish
The garnishes for a jungle bird cocktail are almost as important as the ingredients themself. To make a jungle bird garnish, you’ll need a:
- Maraschino cherry
- Pineapple leaves
- Pineapple wedge
Skewer the cherry with the pineapple leaves and a wedge of pineapple. Prop it in the drink and sip away!
What does it taste like?
This tiki-style cocktail is well-balanced and has a distinct blend of sweet, tart, and bitter flavors. The rum is rich and warming, the pineapple and lime juice are refreshing and tart, and the bitter Campari is what gives this drink its special complexity. Last but not least, a touch of sweet simple syrup is what smoothes out every sip!
Tips and tricks
- If you don’t want to make the jungle bird garnish, keep it simple by garnishing each glass with a pineapple wedge or drop a maraschino cherry right in the glass.
- A cocktail shaker is the best tool to use when putting the drink together. If you don’t have one, you can use a sealed mason jar or any other airtight container instead.
- Is it too boozy? Tone down the alcohol by only using .5 to 1 ounce of rum and only a .5 ounce of Campari.
- To give the cocktail a frothy and silky smooth head, shake the ingredients (except the ice) + one egg white together in the cocktail shaker for 30 seconds. Add a handful of ice and shake again until cold. Strain over ice and enjoy!
More rum cocktails
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Full Recipe
Jungle Bird
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces dark rum
- 1 ½ ounces pineapple juice
- 3/4 ounce Campari
- ½ ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- ½ ounce simple syrup
To Garnish:
- Pineapple leaves (optional)
- Pineapple wedge (optional)
- Maraschino cherry (optional)
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well, until chilled.
- Strain into a glass filled with ice.
- Garnish, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- A cocktail shaker is the best tool to use when putting the drink together. If you don’t have one, you can use a sealed mason jar or any other airtight container instead.
- Is it too boozy? Tone down the alcohol by only using .5 to 1 ounce of rum and only a .5 ounce of Campari.
- To give the cocktail a frothy and silky smooth head, shake the ingredients (except the ice) + one egg white together in the cocktail shaker for 30 seconds. Add a handful of ice and shake again until cold. Strain over ice and enjoy!
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