Jungle Bird
A bitter and fruity rum cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.5% ABV ∙
The Jungle Bird is a tiki sour of dark rum, a red bitter such as Campari, pineapple and lime juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and strained over crushed ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Dark rum 45 mlRed bitter 15 mlPineapple juice 45 mlLime juice 15 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Pack the tiki mug with fresh crushed ice before you strain; crushed ice melts fast, so serve the drink right away.
History
The Jungle Bird was created at the Aviary Bar of the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where beverage manager Jeffrey Ong devised it as a welcome drink for arriving guests. Its debut is generally dated to the hotel's opening on July 6, 1973, though some accounts place its creation around 1978. Its name and original bird-shaped ceramic serving vessel referenced the caged tropical birds visible from the bar.
The cocktail fell into obscurity until tiki historian Jeff "Beachbum" Berry found it in John J. Poister's 1989 book The New American Bartender's Guide, which called for a generic dark rum, and revived it with Jamaican rum specified in his own 2002 book Intoxica! The drink's pairing of Campari with tiki-style pineapple and lime made it stand out, and it went on to become a modern bar staple, later using blackstrap rum in some versions. The International Bartenders Association added the Jungle Bird to its official cocktail list in 2024.
FAQ
What is in a Jungle Bird cocktail?
45 ml dark rum, 15 ml red bitter such as Campari, 45 ml pineapple juice, 15 ml lime juice, and 10 ml sugar syrup.
What kind of rum do you use in a Jungle Bird?
A dark rum. Its molasses and caramel notes stand up to the red bitter and the sweet pineapple. A Jamaican-style dark rum with some funk works especially well, but any full-bodied dark rum will do.
What is a good substitute for Campari in a Jungle Bird?
Any red bitter in the same style works, since the recipe calls for a red bitter rather than Campari specifically. Aperol is milder and less bitter, so the drink will taste sweeter and lighter.
