The Jungle Bird

Invented in Kuala Lumpur in the 1970s, I love the Jungle Bird for proving that Campari isn’t only for stirred down and boozy drinks. As tiki as it gets, it is bright, fruity and joyful. The garnish is lots of fun but obviously not necessary if you don’t have all of the ingredients.

Ingredients

• 45ml (1 &1/2oz) dark rum

• 45ml (1 &1/2oz) pineapple juice (I prefer long life, but you can certainly use fresh and may just have to up the sugar)

• 15ml (1/2oz) Campari

• 15ml (1/2oz) fresh lime juice

• 10ml (1/3oz) cane sugar syrup (to taste)

• A pineapple and cocktail cherry to garnish

• Good ice

Equipment

• A jigger

• Shaker tins

• A small wooden skewer

• A large tiki glass

Method

Prepare your garnish by cutting a triangular wedge of pineapple and trimming a few pineapple fronds. Arrange the fronds on top of each other, then skewer through the cherry, the fronds and the wedge. Fan the fronds out so they look like the tail of a…jungle bird!

Add all of the other ingredients to your shaker tin. Fill shaker tin full with ice. Combine tins and shake hard until the tins become frosted. 

Open tins and ‘dump’ (i.e. pour all of the liquid and the ice from the shaker tins) in to your glass. If you prefer, you can double strain over a large block of ice for a more refined look.

Garnish with your ‘jungle bird’ tiki garnish, and enjoy!

Suggested Spirits

Diplomatico Mantuano is a great medium bodied rum which works well in almost all dark rum cocktail.