If you like tiki cocktails, you will love the Jungle Bird! It was invented at Kuala Lumpur Hilton in 1978. It contains only 5 ingredients and is so easy to make at home!
We’re big been fans of tropical, tiki-inspired drinks. The jungle bird cocktail is made with classic tiki ingredients and one somewhat odd ingredient, Campari. Campari is not a typical tropical ingredient, but it works so well in this cocktail. Who knew an Italian liqueur would end up in a tiki drink?!
To our surprise, the sweetness of the pineapple is complemented by the bitterness of Campari. The underlying notes all play a lovely part in creating the most flavorful tiki drink. It’s absolutely delicious!
After testing recipe variations, we settled on this one. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness.
How to Make a Jungle Bird Cocktail
Ingredients
- Dark Rum
- Campari
- Simple Syrup
- Pineapple Juice
- Lime Juice
Simple syrup is an easy sweetener you can make at home. It’s 1/2 sugar and 1/2 water simmering in a saucepan until sugar is melted. Read our guide to making simple syrup here.
Directions
First, make sure you have the right tools. Check out our 10 must-have bar tools!
Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shale for vigorously for 30 seconds. This is a crucial step when making the cocktail. The water from the ice needs to melt while shaking so dilute the cocktail so the ingredients blend together.
Once the cocktail has been shaken, strain into a glass filled with ice.
You can use large ice cubes or crushed ice for this cocktail.
Garnish the cocktail with pineapple, lime or even fresh mint.
Tips for Making a Jungle Bird
Use high-quality ingredients like good quality rum, organic pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, and organic cane sugar when making the simple syrup.
As mentioned above, shaking with ice is crucial for making this cocktail.
If the drink is a little too strong, add a splash of soda water over the top.
Best Dark Rum for Tiki Drinks
There are many varieties of dark rum you can use to make a jungle bird. We used Zaya for this recipe which is a 16-year old dark rum. It goes really well with this cocktail. Here are some other options.
- Smith & Cross
- Meyers Original Dark Rum
- Plantation Original Dark Rum
- Angostura 1824
- Rogue Dark
- Gosling’s Black Seal
More Cocktails You’ll Love
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Jungle Bird Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 ounces dark rum
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 3 ounces pineapple juice , fresh
- 1 ounce lime juice, fresh
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shale for vigorously for 30 seconds. This is a crucial step when making the cocktail. The water from the ice needs to melt while shaking so dilute the cocktail so the ingredients blend together.
- Once the cocktail has been shaken, strain into a glass filled with ice.
- You can use large ice cubes or crushed ice for this cocktail.
I love the name of this cocktail! It’s so delicious too!
Such a perfect combo and super refreshing!
The rum and pineapple combination is wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
This sounds so refreshing! Excited to find an easy and delicious cocktail as it starts to warm up!