The Jungle Bird Drink is a tropical, refreshing, and well-balanced rum cocktail with subtle bitter notes from Campari. It was invented during Malaysia’s former Kuala Lumpur Hilton Aviary Bar’s Golden Era of cocktails back in the 70s.
Dark rum adds depth and complexity to this tropical sipper. Jamaican is usually best, although light or blackstrap will work just as well.
Rum
Jungle Bird Drink features rum that has been infused with various colorful berries over several days to produce a stunning reddish purple colored drink that will stun guests at any cocktail party. For best results, use a large wide-mouth, airtight jar as part of the infusion process and cover each layer of berries with enough rum to completely cover their surface area before placing in a cool spot away from direct sunlight; shake every day to ensure even distribution across the jar of rum.
This tropical cocktail features an aromatic profile with sweet, tart, bitter and fruity elements for an appealing summer party or tiki night drink. Rich dark rum complements sweet pineapple and lime juices while bitter Campari adds depth and complexity. Finally, adding simple syrup adds an iconic tiki taste with familiar yet refreshing taste notes that complete this classic drink.
If you’re in search of an easy tiki cocktail recipe, the jungle bird may be your go-to solution. While most tiki drinks require many ingredients and steps for preparation, this drink contains just five! Plus it makes an ideal option for people who don’t wish to spend hours shaking cocktails prior to enjoying them!
Although any type of rum may work for this cocktail, we advise using dark rum to enhance the bold flavors present. Jamaican or blackstrap rum are great choices, or try switching it up by co-basing with white or spiced rum for added variety in flavor profile.
Pineapple Juice
The Jungle Bird is a tropical rum cocktail with fruity pineapple juice combined with bitter Campari for an ideal balance. This refreshing summer sipper features rich and aged rum for added depth while lime and bitter liqueurs balance its sweet pineapple notes, elevating this drink beyond generic tiki to become a timeless classic.
Original recipes of this cocktail called for dark rum; its recent surge in popularity has resulted in many bartenders using Jamaican or blackstrap rum for its bold flavor profile. You could also opt for lighter varieties; dark rum provides deeper flavors and stronger alcohol content to the cocktail.
Pineapple juice is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin C and Manganese. Pineapple is well known to support immune health while aiding digestion; in addition, bromelain enzyme found in pineapple helps fight inflammation while relieving digestive discomfort.
Mixing juice and rum together creates an exquisite deep red cocktail, ideal for serving on either rocks or over crushed ice; we recommend crushed ice as it keeps your cocktail cool while avoiding diluting its ingredients.
If pineapple juice is unavailable, try switching it out with guava or passion fruit juice instead. Or add an additional splash of flavor by using pineapple-infused simple syrup (available from specialty liquor stores or homemade with water, sugar and cinnamon). A dash of lemon/lime juice, pinch of cumin seeds and/or sprinkle of black salt are other great ways to spice up pineapple juice!
Lime Juice
The Jungle Bird Drink is a tropically inspired 70s cocktail which combines pineapple juice with Campari and dark rum for an irresistibly refreshing sipper. This drink showcases how dark rum can complement fruit juices without overwhelming them, crossing over between classic and tiki drinks and being inspired by Jeffrey Ong of Kuala Lumpur Hilton Aviary Bar’s original formula from 1973. This recipe follows his original design created at Aviary Bar Kuala Lumpur Hilton by Jeffrey Ong.
This drink features the combination of dark rum and pineapple as its central ingredients, but is enhanced with bitter Campari to create an exciting cocktail perfect for summer. Campari adds notes of almond and orange that set this cocktail apart from more typical fruity rum cocktails.
To make this cocktail, combine all of the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously before straining into a glass and garnishing with either a lime wedge or fresh pineapple pieces for extra color and flavor. Additionally, a pineapple leaf could add extra pizazz.
Though any type of rum will work in this cocktail, dark rums offer deeper flavor and more body to your drink. You could also experiment by mixing in allspice rum for an exciting variation on traditional recipes.
To make this recipe, you will require high-quality lime juice. If none is on hand, store-bought will do, but I highly suggest fresh-squeezed as this will produce superior flavor with lower preservative levels and can even be frozen to keep for later use. If freezing seems preferable for you if storage space is an issue – make sure your beverage can stand up!
Campari
The Jungle Bird is an exciting tropical beverage with a twist. First made popular at Malaysia’s Hilton Kuala Lumpur Aviary Bar during the 1970s, this drink combines refreshing pineapple and lime juice with dark rum and herbal bitterness from Campari for a uniquely delicious blend. While Campari does add its unique taste, its sweetness is offset by sweetness of pineapple and lime juice; Aperol or even Leopold Bros Small Batch Blended Bourbon Whiskey may work equally well (though without giving the bright red hue that Campari provides).
Traditional cocktails should be served over one large piece of ice, such as in a square mold or tiki glass. A large cube helps maintain temperature while limiting dilution; however, regular ice may suffice if necessary.
To make the drink, combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Pour into your favorite tiki glass, garnishing it with fresh pineapple fronds for an eye-catching jungle bird drink that looks as great as it tastes!
The Jungle Bird is a straightforward cocktail to create at home. All that is required to create this classic drink is using high quality dark rum such as Jamaican or Gosling’s Black Seal from Bacardi, or Cruzan for additional sweetness and balance to the bitter Campari flavor. Add lime juice for zesty freshness or sweeten to add sweetness from simple syrup for additional balance with Campari bitterness.
Simple Syrup
The Jungle Bird is a refreshing tropical rum cocktail with an intriguing touch. Bitter Campari balances out the sweetness of pineapple juice to provide an easy yet flavorful sipper, making this drink ideal for summer parties and themed tiki nights alike.
The Jungle Bird cocktail was first invented at Malaysia’s Aviary Bar of Kuala Lumpur Hilton Hotel in 1978, making its simplicity and ease of preparation an appealing option for home bartending. While its original recipe called for generic dark rum, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry used Jamaican dark rum instead – its rich flavors becoming even more noticeable and making this drink much more flavorful!
To create the drink, combine rum, Campari, pineapple juice and lime juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes and shake vigorously for 30 to 1 minutes until frost appears around the outside of the shaker. Strain it over an old-fashioned glass with one large ice cube; garnish it with a wedge of pineapple and cherry to represent jungle birds.
Simple syrup is an integral ingredient in Jungle Bird drinks and is easy to make. For optimal results, use white granulated sugar; however, any type of sugar you have on hand will do. For thicker syrup that’s perfect for drinks use 2:1 (two parts sugar to one part water).
Make sure that you prepare the simple syrup well in advance so it has time to set. Once completed, store in an airtight jar in your fridge for up to one month.
