tiki · shaken
Jungle Bird recipe
Dark rum and Campari with pineapple. Surprisingly refreshing.
A Jungle Bird is 45 ml (42.3 g) Dark Rum, 22 ml (23.1 g) Campari, 45 ml (46.8 g) Pineapple Juice, 15 ml (15.5 g) Fresh Lime Juice and 7.5 ml (8.3 g) Simple Syrup, shaken and served in a rocks (old fashioned) glass. It pours to about 134.5 ml before ice, at roughly 17.5% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glassrocks (old fashioned) glass
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume134.5 ml
- Strength (est.)17.5% ABV
- Time5 min
Jungle Bird ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Rum | 45 ml | 42.3 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Campari | 22 ml | 23.1 g | 1.05 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Pineapple Juice | 45 ml | 46.8 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Fresh Lime Juice | 15 ml | 15.5 g | 1.03 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Simple Syrup (1:1) | 7.5 ml | 8.3 g | 1.11 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Jungle Bird
- Set your rocks (old fashioned) glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add Dark Rum, Campari, Pineapple Juice, Fresh Lime Juice and Simple Syrup to a shaker, weighing each ingredient rather than eyeballing a jigger.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled rocks (old fashioned) glass over fresh ice.
Jungle Bird: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Jungle Bird?
Roughly 17.5% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a Jungle Bird be served in?
A rocks (old fashioned) glass. One large, clear cube melts slower than four small ones and keeps the drink from watering out.
Can I make a Jungle Bird without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Jungle Bird
Planter's Punch
Dark rum, citrus and juices with grenadine and bitters.
Old Cuban
Audrey Saunders' aged-rum mojito, topped with sparkling wine.
Daiquiri
White rum, lime, sugar. The benchmark for balance.
Mai Tai
Trader Vic's original. Rum, orgeat, lime — no juice.
Zombie
A potent tiki blend of rums, lime, falernum and grenadine.
Don's Special Daiquiri
A tiki-era daiquiri with grapefruit and maraschino.