Jungle Bird - Forgotten Classic Cocktail

Jungle Bird
There are not so many cocktails for which it would be known for the day exactly where and on what occasion they were first served. A few exceptions include Jungle Bird. Although he belongs to the tiki family, he has Kuala Lumpur on his birth certificate and it took a few decades for the world to find out about it.
The combination of dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice and sugar syrup was first served on July 6, 1973 as a welcome drink at the opening of the Hilton Hotel in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. The creator of the drink was the local beverage manager Jeffrey Ong. The name of the cocktail, of course, had its justification. The hotel bar was called Aviary, and the birds were actually flying by the pool, which could be seen through the glass wall. In addition, Jungle Bird was originally served in ceramic vessels in the shape of a bird and was drunk through a hole in the bird's tail. Later, probably when all the guests "disassembled" them, ceramic plumage was replaced by larger wine glasses with an engraved bird motif.
Jungle Bird had its literary premiere in 1989 in John J. Poister's book The New American Bartender’s Guide. He was the first outside Malaysia to record the story of this cocktail, marking its author and the date of origin. The recipe recorded by him stated more about pineapple juice (120 ml instead of 45 ml) and also a little more Campari and sugar syrup than is commonly recommended today for a better balance of the drink. He recommended a ceramic container in the shape of a bird or a chilled hurricane glass for service, and a cherry, a slice of orange and lemon and an orchid in addition. Modern services are satisfied with old fashioned glass and the most common decoration is a pineapple with a cocktail cherry. Tipsy Banker Honza Veselý set out on this path, who, like most contemporary bars and bartenders, is inclined to the trend of reducing the amount of pineapple juice, and thus add a drink to the complexity. “Jungle Bird in this form is perfectly balanced. Maybe I would use a more distinctive rum for a stronger body, such as Hampden, "he adds.
Although Poister undoubtedly has an indisputable role in preserving the Jungle Bird cocktail recipe for future generations, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry was the one who really discovered it for the bar world and contributed to its popularity. He took over the drink from The New American Bartender’s Guide in his book Intoxica !, published in 2002, and made the cocktail, which until then was known practically only in Malaysia, one of the necessary items among tiki cocktails. Thanks to him, Jungle Bird is now considered the Malaysian national cocktail, and when Jeffrey Ong died two years ago at the age of 71, he was identified by local newspapers as the creator of the only internationally known Malaysian classic cocktail.

[@MrIIV]

Just made it at home. But with lime juice, and caned pineapples. Very tasty and unusually. It's cocktail with campari, but campari not in the first place. Thanks for recipe!👍

[@thetipsybanker2750]

Thank you for your feedback man. You must try in our neighbors bar with these ingredients. Yes, it's cocktail with campari, but on the rum so that's why the rum comes first. 🙌 Cheers 🥂

[@nguyensum1825]

I am a bartender cook and barista in a street cocktail bar
Amazing i have created one cocktail glass
Same that
Reason by i have not choice
Try to make best tast with lowest cost
Thank for your video
Now i recognize i am right

[@thetipsybanker2750]

Thank you for your comment.

[@PeterPan-wi7dd]

the decoration look like cherry pineapple and something you found in the sink :)

[@thetipsybanker2750]

hahaha, you are funny. It's cherry, candied ginger and pineapple skewer. 😉 You must try it!

[@G.T.01]

Looks delicious, thanks! :)

[@thetipsybanker2750]

Thank you man. It is! Did you prepare it at home?

[@matteoex4466]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@thetipsybanker2750]

What's wrong? 😀