Jungle Bird
Dark rum, Campari, pineapple and lime. A tiki drink with a bitter edge.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- 2.3 UK units
How to make a Jungle Bird
- Combine in a shaker. Add the rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice and sugar syrup to a shaker and fill it with ice.
- Shake hard. Shake for 12 seconds, until the tin is cold and the drink has a frothy head when you open it.
- Strain over fresh ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. The drink should be a deep, glowing red-orange.
- Garnish. Add a pineapple wedge and leaves if you have them.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? A short tumbler or small wine glass.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- Pineapple wedge with leavesOr: An orange wedge.
What you need to make a Jungle Bird
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- Dark rumA rich, slightly funky rum such as Appleton Estate Signature or Plantation Original Dark. Avoid very sweet spiced rums.Find it on Amazon
- CampariNothing else gives the same bitter orange.Find it on Amazon
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The Jungle Bird story
The Jungle Bird is usually credited to Jeffrey Ong, who is said to have created it in the late 1970s at the Aviary Bar of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in Malaysia. It was served as a welcome drink. It later spread through tiki bars and cocktail books, where the Campari made it stand out from the usual sweet fruity drinks.
The bitter Campari cuts through the pineapple, which keeps the drink from tasting like juice. Use a strong, dark rum with some character, and shake it hard to get the froth that comes from pineapple juice.
Jungle Bird: your questions answered
What is in a Jungle Bird?
A Jungle Bird is made with 45 ml dark rum, 20 ml Campari, 45 ml pineapple juice, 15 ml fresh lime juice and 10 ml sugar syrup. Garnish: pineapple wedge with leaves.
Is a Jungle Bird shaken or stirred?
A Jungle Bird is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Jungle Bird?
Made to this recipe, a Jungle Bird contains about 2.3 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Jungle Bird in?
Serve a Jungle Bird in a rocks glass over ice. No rocks glass? A short tumbler or small wine glass.
