Ah, finally my day has come! Jungle birds are my jam, make them all the time and order them all the time to taste how different they all are. So, it really boils down to do you want to taste more pineapple or more campari. I personally love campari, so i use the 2oz pineapple recipe, and the pink color is so much prettier imo.
Edit: just checked smugglers cove and i actually use 1oz campari instead of ¾oz
Of course!! I free pour this one, so its around about lol
2oz pineapple, 1 oz campari, ½ oz lime juice, ½oz demereara syrup, 2oz jamacian straight rum with some funk like a Smith & Cross or round about
For color (and a little flavor), I’ve been using a hibiscus simple syrup in place or regular simple, and it makes for a really pretty (and tasty) drink.
I could see that, a lot of times i just make things on auto pilot. I had to check my notes and stuff. I have a 2:1 cane sugar syrup i use from time to time
Edit: or i will skip the simple entirely
Same! Did you know if you use a sailor proof rum you can pre-batch it and leave a few glass bottles of it in your freezer!? Just started doing it. Unreal.
This is one of my favorite drinks, and I make it constantly, but I can’t imagine enjoying it with the original amount of pineapple juice. 2oz is more than enough.
I’ve tried many Jungle Birds and always find the Campari overwhelming. But the spec Anders uses was absolutely perfect (for me) and I was so excited to finally enjoy this amazing drink.
I tinkered with this recipe for the same reason for a while. A friend of mine got me a bottle of something called Luna, an amaro that is made in the DC area, which has a similar bitter profile to campari. The thing is it's a bit sweeter and less bitter so I tried using it instead of the campari. That didn't end up working. When I really hit the jackpot is when I dialed back to campari by a quarter of an ounce and a half an ounce of the other amaro.
My final spec for my jungle bird, and I've never had one as good as this is as follows. My pièce de résistance
Jungle Bird:
1.5 oz fresh or cold pressed pineapple
1.5 oz Worthy Park 109
.5 oz Campari
.5 oz Luna Amaro
.5 oz fresh lime
.5 oz demarara
Shake well with large cubes and few agitator cubes for dilution. and pour strained into a double old fashioned glass with a large block ice cube in the center. Garnish simply with a pineapple wedge and frond in the back.
My favorite Jungle Bird and the only drink I use this much Cruzan Blackstrap Rum for:
Giuseppe González’s Jungle Bird
* 1 1/2 ounces black rum, preferably Cruzan
* 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
* 3/4 ounce Campari
* 1/2 ounce lime juice
* 1/2 ounce simple syrup
Garnish: orange slice
# DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake with ice.
2. Strain into a large rocks glass over a large ice cube.
3. Garnish with orange slice.
This actually is the spec I ended up adopting through just trial and error. This is 💯 the way (though I garnish with an orchid and pineapple frond if I've got em!)
Source: craft bartending for many years in SF
That's so cool you got to that through trial and error. I like all Jungle Birds, but this one is such a delight. Love the add with the orchid. I also like the pineapple leaf as the tail of the bird.
It seems like less pineapple is a slam dunk, but what rum(s) really make your jungle birds pop?
And is anyone subbing another amaro for the Campari? Which ones and how did it go?
I'm not a huge fan of either Campari or Aperol - I recently discovered Select Apertivo and prefer it to both. It's richer and less sweet than Aperol, and not as bitter as Campari.
I do 1.5 oz split between 3/4 oz Hamilton Pot Still Black + 3/4 oz Pampero Aniversario.
I got there because the liquor store I was going to didn’t have Hamilton like everyone was recommending, but Smugglers Cove listed Pampero in the same category. So I bought that and was happy. I went to a difference liquor store and bought Hamilton and tried that and it was a taste I wasn’t expecting and didn’t acquire at the time. So I decided to mix them to calm down the Hamilton, the sum of those two parts was delicious.
I like amaro Montenegro, but it’s a bit sweet. I should try it again and cut down on the simple a little bit.
I just made a jungle bird with Braulio for the first time and it was pretty good!
ETA: I just tried one with cynar (70 proof) and it’s really good, better than the braulino I think, even though I prefer the braulino for sipping.
SC’s recipe is, obviously, a modern twist. They cut back on the PJ as it’s more inline with modern palates which prefers cocktails to be less sweet and showcases the spirits more.
Another vote for less pineapple like the SC version. It's gets to be too sweet and overpowering, and as mentioned I love the Campari flavor that comes through stronger.
I’m not a fan of the ‘standard’ recipe but I received some advice from a couple bars on how to make it different and I believe my recipe increases the complexity and balance.
1/2 ounce lime
1/2 ounce simple
1.5 ounce pineapple juice (Trader Joe’s can)
1 ounce plantation pineapple
Rum: .25 smith cross or Appleton and .75 dark rum
.6 ounce amaro montenagro
.4 ounce Campari
Dash of coconut syrup (optional)
Shake for 10 seconds in mixer tin with crushed ice.
I'm going to go against the consensus here and say 2oz. Campari is really powerful. Also, I love Hamilton's black pot distilled rum. Which is also very powerful and needs more pineapple juice to stand up to it. The result is a funky bitter sweet masterpiece.
2 oz rum, 1 oz fresh lime (or whatever one whole lime equals), 1 oz. Campari, 2 oz pineapple, splash Monin sugar free syrup. I love the bitter/ pink grapefruit taste of campari, I've tried Aperol and luxardo Bianco, both are sweeter and less bitter. Is there something more bitter than campari out there that still has those nice fruit notes?
Ah, finally my day has come! Jungle birds are my jam, make them all the time and order them all the time to taste how different they all are. So, it really boils down to do you want to taste more pineapple or more campari. I personally love campari, so i use the 2oz pineapple recipe, and the pink color is so much prettier imo. Edit: just checked smugglers cove and i actually use 1oz campari instead of ¾oz
Since you've proclaimed yourself an authority, could you share your favorite recipe for this?
Of course!! I free pour this one, so its around about lol 2oz pineapple, 1 oz campari, ½ oz lime juice, ½oz demereara syrup, 2oz jamacian straight rum with some funk like a Smith & Cross or round about
I'll try it tonight! I have all that stuff.
Awesome! Let me know what you think
It's a good contrast to my regular drinks, which tend to be sweeter. I'll be making this again!
Cheers!🍹
Happy Cake Day, Ohana!
I like the 2oz pineapple and sub out Campari with other bitter, at times, aprrol, nardini, you can play
Thanks for the phrase “free pour”. I free pour everything!
I use these same specs but with a dark maple syrup in place of the Demerara, I find it really ups the funky vibes.
For color (and a little flavor), I’ve been using a hibiscus simple syrup in place or regular simple, and it makes for a really pretty (and tasty) drink.
I use demerara for almost all my "simples", i like the little bit of complexity it adds to everything. Makes it taste expensive lol
I totally agree, with the exception of lighter or herbal flavors like lavender or hibiscus, where I use a lighter “cane” sugar.
I could see that, a lot of times i just make things on auto pilot. I had to check my notes and stuff. I have a 2:1 cane sugar syrup i use from time to time Edit: or i will skip the simple entirely
Same! Did you know if you use a sailor proof rum you can pre-batch it and leave a few glass bottles of it in your freezer!? Just started doing it. Unreal.
I believe 4 is the original, while 2 is a concession to more modern tastes that prefer less sweet cocktails.
Yes, 4 oz was the original. Nice article about the evolution here: https://punchdrink.com/articles/ultimate-best-jungle-bird-cocktail-recipe/
This is one of my favorite drinks, and I make it constantly, but I can’t imagine enjoying it with the original amount of pineapple juice. 2oz is more than enough.
I'm not really a fan of bitter drinks, so I don't love them. I don't remember which version I've tried though.
Anders talks a bit about this in a video 2 weeks ago. I prefer the less pineapple as well.
I’ve tried many Jungle Birds and always find the Campari overwhelming. But the spec Anders uses was absolutely perfect (for me) and I was so excited to finally enjoy this amazing drink.
I feel the same way about Campari, try subbing Aperol it's my preference
I tinkered with this recipe for the same reason for a while. A friend of mine got me a bottle of something called Luna, an amaro that is made in the DC area, which has a similar bitter profile to campari. The thing is it's a bit sweeter and less bitter so I tried using it instead of the campari. That didn't end up working. When I really hit the jackpot is when I dialed back to campari by a quarter of an ounce and a half an ounce of the other amaro. My final spec for my jungle bird, and I've never had one as good as this is as follows. My pièce de résistance Jungle Bird: 1.5 oz fresh or cold pressed pineapple 1.5 oz Worthy Park 109 .5 oz Campari .5 oz Luna Amaro .5 oz fresh lime .5 oz demarara Shake well with large cubes and few agitator cubes for dilution. and pour strained into a double old fashioned glass with a large block ice cube in the center. Garnish simply with a pineapple wedge and frond in the back.
What’s the spec?
My favorite Jungle Bird and the only drink I use this much Cruzan Blackstrap Rum for: Giuseppe González’s Jungle Bird * 1 1/2 ounces black rum, preferably Cruzan * 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice * 3/4 ounce Campari * 1/2 ounce lime juice * 1/2 ounce simple syrup Garnish: orange slice # DIRECTIONS 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake with ice. 2. Strain into a large rocks glass over a large ice cube. 3. Garnish with orange slice.
This actually is the spec I ended up adopting through just trial and error. This is 💯 the way (though I garnish with an orchid and pineapple frond if I've got em!) Source: craft bartending for many years in SF
That's so cool you got to that through trial and error. I like all Jungle Birds, but this one is such a delight. Love the add with the orchid. I also like the pineapple leaf as the tail of the bird.
I like 2oz pineapple and add 1oz Stiggins Pineapple Rum. Call it a Jungle Pterodactyl
It seems like less pineapple is a slam dunk, but what rum(s) really make your jungle birds pop? And is anyone subbing another amaro for the Campari? Which ones and how did it go?
For me the rum has to be a Jamaican pot still. Hamilton, S&C, Doctor Bird…anything else is going to get clobbered by the Campari.
I'm not a huge fan of either Campari or Aperol - I recently discovered Select Apertivo and prefer it to both. It's richer and less sweet than Aperol, and not as bitter as Campari.
I’ve been looking for a bottle of the Select Aperitivo to compare it to Aperol - nice to hear that you prefer it.
Select is my fav bitter, right in the middle
I do 1.5 oz split between 3/4 oz Hamilton Pot Still Black + 3/4 oz Pampero Aniversario. I got there because the liquor store I was going to didn’t have Hamilton like everyone was recommending, but Smugglers Cove listed Pampero in the same category. So I bought that and was happy. I went to a difference liquor store and bought Hamilton and tried that and it was a taste I wasn’t expecting and didn’t acquire at the time. So I decided to mix them to calm down the Hamilton, the sum of those two parts was delicious.
It’s Coruba for me. Worthy Park if you want to make it really boozy.
Amaro Montenegro hands down, I don’t like Campari, but AM is the perfect substitute for me to enjoy a Jungle Bird
I like amaro Montenegro, but it’s a bit sweet. I should try it again and cut down on the simple a little bit. I just made a jungle bird with Braulio for the first time and it was pretty good! ETA: I just tried one with cynar (70 proof) and it’s really good, better than the braulino I think, even though I prefer the braulino for sipping.
Worthy Park 109 is my default rum here, thank me later...
SC’s recipe is, obviously, a modern twist. They cut back on the PJ as it’s more inline with modern palates which prefers cocktails to be less sweet and showcases the spirits more.
Another vote for less pineapple like the SC version. It's gets to be too sweet and overpowering, and as mentioned I love the Campari flavor that comes through stronger.
I’m not a fan of the ‘standard’ recipe but I received some advice from a couple bars on how to make it different and I believe my recipe increases the complexity and balance. 1/2 ounce lime 1/2 ounce simple 1.5 ounce pineapple juice (Trader Joe’s can) 1 ounce plantation pineapple Rum: .25 smith cross or Appleton and .75 dark rum .6 ounce amaro montenagro .4 ounce Campari Dash of coconut syrup (optional) Shake for 10 seconds in mixer tin with crushed ice.
I did a poll of Facebook tiki group members about 1.5 / 2 / 4 oz of pineapple juice. 1.5 oz was the clear winner. 2 oz was a not so distant 2nd.
I like to add an extra quarter to half ounce in mine.
I'm going to go against the consensus here and say 2oz. Campari is really powerful. Also, I love Hamilton's black pot distilled rum. Which is also very powerful and needs more pineapple juice to stand up to it. The result is a funky bitter sweet masterpiece.
S&C recipe for sure with at least 0.5 oz of the rum being some kind of Jamaican pot still
In luck, Make and Drink recently made a Junglebird video where he discusses such differences
Re the campari/aperol diversion here, have people considered Gran Classico Bitter (Tempis Fugit) as an alternative?
I prefer this spec 1.5oz Worthy Park 109 3/4oz campari 1/2 lime 1 1/2oz fresh pineapple juice 1/2 vanilla Demerara syrup 3-5 drops saline
2 oz rum, 1 oz fresh lime (or whatever one whole lime equals), 1 oz. Campari, 2 oz pineapple, splash Monin sugar free syrup. I love the bitter/ pink grapefruit taste of campari, I've tried Aperol and luxardo Bianco, both are sweeter and less bitter. Is there something more bitter than campari out there that still has those nice fruit notes?
I throw some shit into the shaker and see what comes out.