Cocktail of the Month: Jungle Bird

OVERVIEW

Originating from Malaysia, the Jungle Bird has become a popular Tiki cocktail over the past few decades. The core of the original recipe consists of rum (preferably dark or black strap), Campari, lime juice (fresh squeezed), pineapple juice and a type of simple syrup (e.g. demerara syrup). Our recipe for Two Birds with One Stone (i.e. our version) serves as both an ode to and variation of the classic Jungle Bird cocktail.

1 ounce peach tea rum (Legendaire)

1/2 ounce black strap rum (Cruzan)

1/2 ounce Campari

3/4 ounce pineapple gum syrup

3/4 ounce lime juice

PREPARATION

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and add ice. SHAKE and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

ALTERNATIVE(S)

Note that instead of using pineapple juice and demerara syrup, we chose to kill two birds with one stone (no pun intended) by using pineapple gum syrup. The choice of using gum syrup allows for retaining the refreshing qualities of pineapple while introducing a silkiness found when using gum syrup (rather than traditional simple syrup). This variation of the Jungle Bird also introduces a subtle peach flavor from the peach tea rum, thus the inspiration behind the name of the cocktail.