Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Jungle Boogie

Holy hell it’s August already? When the hell did this happen? I certainly didn’t ask for this. What I did ask for was a good excuse to use dark rum this week. I re-supplied to make Dark & Stormys and thought about using here. Having already made the aforementioned Dark & Storm as well as a painkiller, I decided to do some research. I had lime and pineapple juice on hand, and went looking for something a little different. Boy did I find it in the Jungle Bird. I don’t think I would have ever thought to add Campari to a dark rum drink, but here we are. Let’s go.

.5oz simple syrup
1.5 oz. blackstrap rum, preferably Cruzan
.75 oz. Campari
1.5 oz. pineapple juice, fresh or a high-quality brand
.5 oz. fresh lime juice
Pineapple wedge, for garnish

In a mixing glass three-quarters filled with ice, pour 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, the rum, the Campari, the pineapple juice and the lime juice. Shake until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over one large piece of ice. Top with pineapple wedge.

This gives off a lot of tropical vibes, both in color and aroma. The nose is nice combination of dark rum and pineapple. It would be enhanced a bit more if I had fresh pineapple to garnish, but I do not. I get a hint of Campari fighting its way through to make its presence known in the aroma, but it doesn’t take over by any means.

The sip is a light, sweet and sour combination. The rum is a nice building block for the other flavors to really shine. The first flavors that I get is the lime and pineapple, which is always a nice combination. About midway through I can start to pick up the rum, which adds a nice depth to the lime and pineapple. Shortly thereafter the Campari bitterness starts to permeate. While the flavor starts to become more pronounced, much like the scent it adds, does not take over the rest of the profile. The four flavors are then in concert through the end, while the lime and Campari hang around the palate for a few seconds once you’ve finished.

This is a nicely balanced tropical drink. I would have liked to add the fresh pineapple wedge , so next time I make this I’ll plan ahead and pick some up. Same with the Cruzan Black Strap rum. I used Goslings because that’s what I had on hand, and apparently, “black strap” is kind of a catch all, most dark rums available (Goslings, Cruzan, Kraken etc) all fit the bill. But I’m curious to see what kind of different flavors each rum brings to the table.

(Banner image found here)