Jungle Bird

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Cocktail History

The Jungle Bird is a classic cocktail that was created in the 1970s at the Aviary Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’s considered to be a relative newcomer to the repertoire of classic tiki drinks and is also fairly simple compared to most because it’s made with just five ingredients: rum, Campari, citrus, simple syrup, and pineapple.

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Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. I used Appleton Estate Special Gold Rum.

Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, rhubarb, citrus, herbs, aromatic plants, fruit, and alcohol.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pineapple. I used fresh pineapple juice.

Lime Wheel: This is a lime slice that has been cut into a circular shape.

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Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. I used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer for the lime and the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer for the pineapple.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright orange-red color

• Aroma: Sweet bitter Campari

• Taste: Pineapple flavor laced with warm rum spices and citrus

• Finish: Lingering bitterness

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "Finally a Campari drink that I can tolerate for more than a single sip! Although still a bit too bitter for my taste especially when I'm in the mood for fruity tiki cocktails, the Jungle Bird has its place. I can see why those with more discerning palates are such big fans. The rum and pineapple do a good job of cutting the liqueur's bitterness without completely masking its unique flavor. Maybe in a couple of years I can come back to this one and enjoy it even more as my own palate develops."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.