The Jungle Bird cocktail was originally invented in 1973 by Jeffrey Ong, beverage manager at the Aviary Bar in Kuala Lumpur Hilton, Malaysia and was served as a welcome drink for the hotel guests. The cocktail’s name was inspired by the colorful tropical birds kept in a netted area near the hotel’s swimming pool which could be seen through a glass panel from the Aviary Bar. It was featured in the 1989 book “The New American Bartenders Guide” where it gained international recognition and popularity. It was originally served in a bird shaped ceramic vessel and consisted of dark rum (I used Denizen Vatted Dark), Campari (a bitter Italian liqueur), pineapple juice, lime juice and demerara syrup. The combination of the bitter Campari liqueur and sweet pineapple juice creates a unique tropical taste which makes this tiki cocktail special. Cheers!
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Jigger
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Hand Juicer
- Small Saucepan
- Measuring Cup
- Hurricane or Highball Glass
- Toothpick
- Umbrella Straw
Ingredients – Serves 1
- 1.5 oz Dark Rum (Denizen Vatted Dark)
- .75 oz Campari
- 2 oz Pineapple Juice
- .5 oz Lime Juice
- .5 oz Rich Demerara Syrup (2:1)
- Pineapple wedge and fronds for garnish
- Luxardo Cherry for garnish
Method
- Make the rich demerara syrup. Add 2 cups demerara sugar and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Stir. Heat to boil. Stir again. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into a glass container and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
- Make the garnish. Pull out 3 fronds from the top of the pineapple (make sure to get nice looking ones:) Cut the top and bottom off of a fresh pineapple. Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Then cut in half again. You should have 4 long pieces. Cut into 1-inch wedges. Reserve the wedge for the garnish and place the rest in a container and store in the fridge. Take the 3 fronds and attach to the back of the pineapple wedge with a toothpick (you may need to trim the pick). Cut a slit in the bottom of the wedge and set aside.
- Make the cocktail. Add the rum, Campari, pineapple juice. lime juice and demerara syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine and strain into a hurricane or highball glass filled with ice.
- Garnish. Slide the pineapple wedge with fronds onto the side of your glass. Expand the fronds to resemble bird feathers. Make a slit in the bottom of a Luxardo cherry and slide onto the side of your glass. This garnish should resemble a bird. Add a umbrella straw. Cheers!
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