Cue the cheesy intro…
Once upon a time it was the lion that was the king of this domain. Things have changed. If you look to the sky you now see the majestic Jungle Bird wears the crown.
Okay let's talk about this cocktail...
The Jungle Bird is an amazing cocktail for the simple fact that it's helping me to get rid of some of my leftover booze. I've been sitting on a bottle of #Campari for damn near a year. I've used it to make a few drinks here and there, but haven't found a recipe I've really wanted to repeat. There's a lot of parts I really enjoy so hopefully this is the one.
This cocktail combines pineapple juice, something that I'm a big fan of. It's going to combine a little bit of sweet with a little simple syrup, which I'm a big fan of. It's going to combine lime juice in there with some dark rum, which I'm a big fan of and it's also going to combine some Campari which I cannot stand to be honest with you.
If you're a big fan of #Negronis, then yes, I imagine that you're really really going to enjoy the Jungle Bird. Once again. It was still a bit too bitter for me. Even after I reduced some of the Campari. I went from 3/4 ounces down to a half ounce and I still found it to be a little bit too bitter. But once again, I live life on the sweeter side. I know my compadres here around Third World Problems prefer more Campari as opposed to the less so they like a little bit more of a bitter drink. So it really comes down to your palate. What I would suggest is stick to the recipe tightly the first time round. And then from there, like we always encourage on Thirst World Problems, you can start to play around with some of the measurements. If you find it too sweet, you can drop the simple syrup completely or reduce some of the pineapple juice. If you find it too bitter, reduce some of the Campari.
One thing I would recommend after making this drink a few different ways is to use fresh juices if you've got the time and the energy. It's not a deal breaker obviously, but it definitely helps to add that little bit of zip to your drink.
“One thing I would recommend after making this drink a few different ways is to use fresh juices if you've got the time and the energy. It's not a deal breaker obviously, but it definitely helps to add that little bit of zip to your drink."
Unlike some other Campari cocktails (Boulevardier, Americano, etc.) the Jungle Bird tends to be a little more accessible because of flavors contributed by the juices and the rum. I think this is a summery drink that I would lean towards if I had more of a bitter palette.
Tiki drinks tend to be a little bit sweeter and have more tropical flavors. So if that isn't your sort of thing and you find yourself at a tiki bar this is one drink that might help you pass the time. Now if you're like me and you find yourself sitting on a bottle of Campari for damn near three years now. You're going to want to find some cocktails that it really mixes well with and not just force yourself to drink it. This one will help you out. The Jungle Bird came flapping in at the drink of the week and though it wasn't my favorite cocktail that we've done around here it still was a tasty cocktail and I could see myself playing around with it a bit more to kind of reduce a little bit of that bitterness. I could see enjoying this every once in a while, but it would never be a go to cocktail for me. Once again, different strokes for different folks and drink whatever floats your boat. There are other ways that I could say this kind of silly stuff, but instead I'll just say Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the cocktail. You’ll be able to find the recipe and a drink video right here on our website or on Youtube and on IG.
Recipe
Ingredients
🔸1 1/2 dark rum
🔸3/4 Campari
🔸1/2 Demerara Syrup (Simple syrup if you don't have)
🔸1/2 Lime juice
🔸1 1/12 Pineapple Juice
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients and shake until chilled
Strain into a cocktail glass over ice
Add a juicy pineapple wedge for a garnish