A Jungle Bird Cocktail is a flavorful, tropical drink that is perfect for summer. Made with dark rum, pineapple and lime juices, and Campari, this beverage is easy to make for one or to serve a crowd.
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The Jungle Bird Cocktail was first created in 1970 at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton’s Aviary Bar in Malaysia by bartender Jeffrey Ong See Teik.
It’s a tropical cocktail that was served as a welcome beverage to guests of the hotel. It got it’s name from the exotic birds that could be seen in the pool area while seated at the bar.
This cocktail is dark rum-based with a hint of bitterness from the addition of Campari, an apertif with citrus and spice. Pineapple juice, lime juice and simple syrup add fruitiness and sweetness to balance everything out.
Why This Recipe Works
This cocktail is easy to make with just 5 ingredients. It’s as simple and mixing the ingredients and pouring them into a glass with ice.
It has a fruity in flavor and tastes like summer. This is the perfect beverage to enjoy on a hot summer day or evening. This cocktail is also a great choice for serving a crowd at gatherings like pool parties and backyard barbecues.
You can make this drink ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until needed.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark rum: you can use any dark rum, Jamaican rum or blackstrap rum. Dark rum has been aged longer than white rum and has notes of vanilla, caramel and oak.
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce Campari: Campari is an Italian liquor and apertif. It has a bitter flavor profile with notes of citrus and spices. Bitter liquors can stimulate the appetite and are typically served before a meal.
- 1 ounce lime juice: fresh squeezed will give you the best flavor.
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- dehydrated pineapple (optional garnish)
Chef’s Tip: the amounts of any of these ingredients can be adjusted to suite your own tastes. Add more simple syrup or pineapple juice if a sweeter cocktail is desired. Add less Campari if you don’t care for the bitterness.
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
There is no significant prep work for this recipe.
Create!
Add the dark rum, pineapple juice, Campari, lime juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with about 1 cup of ice.
Place the lid and shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds until chilled.
Fill a glass with ice and strain the cocktail over the ice.
Present!
Garnish with dehydrated pineapple or lime slices, if desired.
Tips and Techniques
- This cocktail is easy to adjust to suite your own tastes. You can add more pineapple juice or simple syrup to increase the sweetness or reduce the Campari if you don’t care for the bitter flavor. For a less sweet beverage, reduce the amount of simple syrup.
- You can make this beverage ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just be sure to remove any ice first. When you are ready to serve, pour over ice in a glass.
- To serve a crowd, increase the amount of servings in the recipe card and mix in a pitcher. Remove the ice and store in the refrigerator until needed. When ready to serve, pour over ice in a glass.
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Jungle Bird Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark rum (any dark, Jamaican or blackstrap rum)
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce lime juice (fresh squeezed)
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- dehydrated pineapple (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Add the dark rum, pineapple juice, Campari, lime juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with about 1 cup of ice.2 ounces dark rum, 2 ounces pineapple juice, 1 ounce Campari, 1 ounce lime juice, 1 ounce simple syrup
- Place the lid and shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds until chilled.
- Fill a glass with ice and strain the cocktail over the ice.
- Garnish with dehydrated pineapple or lime slices, if desired.dehydrated pineapple
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- This cocktail is easy to adjust to suite your own tastes. You can add more pineapple juice or simple syrup to increase the sweetness or reduce the Campari if you don't care for the bitter flavor. For a less sweet beverage, reduce the amount of simple syrup.
- You can make this beverage ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just be sure to remove any ice first. When you are ready to serve, pour over ice in a glass.
- To serve a crowd, increase the amount of servings in the recipe card and mix in a pitcher. Remove the ice and store in the refrigerator until needed. When ready to serve, pour over ice in a glass.
