The Jungle Bird originated in Malaysia in the 1970’s at Kuala Lumpur’s Aviary Bar, hence the name.
The refreshing rum cocktail’s intriguing complexity comes from the addition of Campari, a bitter and vibrantly red-orange Italian liqueur that tamps the sweetness of pineapple juice for a refreshing result. “I think the Jungle Bird is one of those cocktails that has been pushed on the fringe. It’s a very underrated classic,” says Dalton Bedard, the bar manager at Charlie Park in Tallahassee, Florida.
While Bedard serves the traditional Jungle Bird at Charlie Park, he puts his own spin on it with the Beija Flor, made with cachaça, Campari, rooibos tea syrup, and velvet falernum.
*To make demerara syrup, combine equal parts demerara sugar and water in a small pot and heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool before use. In a cocktail tin filled with ice, combine all ingredients except garnishes and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with pineapple leaves and lime wheel.
recipe 
yields
1 drink
1½ ounces dark rum
¾ ounce Campari
1½ ounces pineapple juice
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce demerara syrup*
Garnish: Pineapple leaves, lime wheel
Ingredients
steps
In a cocktail tin filled with ice, combine all ingredients except garnishes and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with pineapple leaves and lime wheel.
*To make demerara syrup, combine equal parts demerara sugar and water in a small pot and heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool before use.
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- Created by Dalton Bedard
