Originating toward the end tiki cocktails (and most craft cocktails in general), the Jungle Bird was created around 1978 at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton. Modeled after a Negroni, the Jungle Bird adds pineapple and lime juice to cover the acidity added by vermouth, and trades out gin for black blended rum. The result is a tropical spin on a Negroni that presents the bitterness of Campari with the softer tropical notes of pineapple and brown sugar.
Jungle Bird
A beautifully balanced cocktail with a gentle bitterness mixed with tropical pineapple and a hint of brown sugar and spice. The subtle herbalness of the Campari shines against the caramelized sugars. The brightness is just right for sipping over the course of a hot day. The pineapple also gives it a luxuriously smooth texture, and the dilution keeps it evolving.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
The Jungle Bird is fairly straight forward, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t minor tweaks you can make. Due to the straightforward mixture of ingredients, there’s a lot of room to play, specifically around the base liquor and ratios. You can also make tweaks to the flavor by changing the syrup used. Cinnamon syrup can add a nice warmth to compliment the rum spices.
- Rum – The recommended rum here is a black blended, such as Gosling’s. You can also substitute an aged rum of your choosing, such as Appleton Reserve, or Doorly’s X.O. What the rum provides is additional tropical fruit notes, caramelized sugars, and funk.
- Some recipes will increase the rum by ½ oz and decrease the amount of pineapple juice by ½ oz to accentuate this.
- Pineapple Juice – We recommend dole (in the smaller cans to reduce waste), but feel free to juice your own.
- Lime Juice – Use fresh squeezed for the best results.
- Demerara Syrup – Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat. Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool and bottle. Refrigerate. The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouding or mold develop.
- Campari – There’s no direct substitute for Campari here, but you can play with the outcome of this recipe using a different amaro – such as Aperol.