The first known version of the Jungle Bird cocktail was offered to guests of the former Kuala Lumpur Hilton, which opened its doors in 1973, as a welcome drink in the 1970s. The Jungle Bird is claimed to have been served in a porcelain bird-shaped cup, and Jeffrey Ong is credited with creating the cocktail inside the hotel’s Aviary Bar, hence the name of the drink.
You should reserve your juices after choosing your rum. If you have a juicer or muddler, fresh pineapple juice keeps the refreshing theme going. Fresh lime juice is a need. The rum and fruit complement campari wonderfully, and it gives the drink a deep vein of herbal bitterness. The sugar is all that is left. Demerara syrup, which is a raw cane sugar and water mixture that many drinks made in the Tiki style use, is called for in this recipe.
Here, the garnish is the true star of the show. To make a “jungle bird” decoration for the glass, combine a cherry, a pineapple wedge, and some leaves. It’s quite easy to put together, and the result is stunning. If you don’t usually add a garnish to your drinks, do so with this one.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces dark rum
3/4-ounce Campari
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2-ounce simple syrup
Pineapple wedge and leaves, for garnish
Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Directions
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a cocktail shaker, pour the rum, Campari, pineapple and lime juices, and simple syrup.
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass with a single large ice cube.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge adorned with a cherry and pineapple leaves to look like a jungle bird. Serve and enjoy.
Cheers!