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The Jungle Bird is a classic cocktail made with dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, and rich demerara syrup. It’s subtly sweet, tart, and bitter, with the Campari providing a distinctive herbal and bitter profile that sets it apart from other tropical cocktails.
Table of Contents
Brief History
The Jungle Bird was first published in “The New American Bartender’s Guide” by John J. Poister in 1989. However, its origins trace back to the Aviary Bar at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton, in Malaysia where it was created in 1978. The exact origins of the cocktail are somewhat unknown, but it’s believed to have been invented to commemorate the opening of the hotel.
It’s one of my favorite discoveries in my cocktail journey. An instant favorite and a great way to appreciate the endless uses for Campari. My favorite thing about pineapple in cocktails is the frothy texture it adds. Similar to egg white, pineapple contributes a frothy texture that enhances the sipping experience.
If you’re looking for more ways to use Campari, try the Negroni, Negroni Sour, Boulevardier, and Americano.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Aged rum: any aged rum will work, however many recipes call for Jamaican rum. I would avoid spiced rum such as Captain Morgan. I like Appleton Estate and Plantation 5-year for decent rums for use in cocktails.
- Pineapple juice: I use the small cans of pineapple juice from Dole.
- Campari: Campari is a bitter and citrusy, crimson-colored Italian liqueur often served as an aperitif. It has notes of baking spices such as cinnamon and clove. There aren’t really any other alternatives.
- Fresh lime juice: always opt for fresh squeezed lime for the best flavor. Use a citrus squeezer for the easiest juicing.
- Demerara syrup: a simple syrup made with demerara sugar (less processed sugar found in the baking aisle) (typically 2:1 ratio of sugar to water) in place of table sugar. This has become the gold standard syrup for many dark spirit cocktails for its richer, darker flavor. You can also use regular simple syrup.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Expert Tips
- Chill your glasses in the freezer. A cold glass prevents warming and keeps your drink colder for longer.
- Serve over a large ice cube, regular cubes, or pebble ice for a tiki feel. A giant ice cube is designed to melt slower due to its size, causing less dilution. If you’re serious about making cocktails, invest in a clear ice maker. Clear ice cubes taste better and melt even slower.
- This cocktail benefits from a strong shake. This will froth up the pineapple juice, rendering a little foam, which adds a nice texture.
More Rum Cocktails
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this cocktail, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Jungle Bird Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces aged rum
- 1½ ounces pineapple juice
- 3/4 ounce Campari
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1/2 ounce rich demerara syrup
- Pineapple wedge garnish
- Brandied cherry garnish
Instructions
- Combine rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, and demerara syrup in a shaker with ice.
- Shake and double strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass over fresh ice or a large ice cube.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and brandied cherry.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
SO GOOD! It’s nice to have another use for Campari other than the occasional Negroni I drink in the summer. Adding this to the regular rotation.
Such a great find – first time having one of these and I cant believe hoe good they are. thank you!!