Salty Bird

The SALTY BIRD is a nice transition drink into warmer weather. It’s a tropical-style drink that uses black rum, or preferably a black-strap rum, which has more of a smokey overtone than the white rum drinks. A pinch of salt is added to the top of the drink as an interesting offset to the sweet and bitter (hence the “salty”).

Requirements: Cruzan Black Strap Rum (or black rum), Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, lime wedge, simple syrup, salt.

• 1.5 oz. (1 jigger) black rum
• .75 oz. (1 pony) Campari
• .5 oz. lime juice
• .5 oz. simple syrup
• 1.5 oz. pineapple juice
• large pinch of salt
• lime wedge or dehydrated pineapple slice

Combine all liquid ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain over a glass with ice. Add a large pinch of salt to the top and garnish with a lime wedge or dehydrated pineapple.

History: This is a variation of a 1978 recipe for the Jungle Bird. It originates from Lauren Schell of NYC’s Little Branch bar and Theo Lieberman of NYC’s Milk & Honey.

Comments: Cruzan Black Strap Rum is the recommended rum for this drink. I used Gosling’s Black Seal Rum in my mix. It was still delicious and, paired with Campari, gave it a more complex edge over the more common white rum tropical drinks. Though with pineapple juice in the mix, you still feel just a few steps away from the pool, beach or anyplace outdoors. But there are many Salty Bird recipes that call for white rum, which you can try if that’s what you have handy. The salt topper is a nice offset to the bitterness of Campari and the sweetness of pineapple juice.

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Jasmine — https://keetscocktails.com/jasmine-2/

Siesta — https://keetscocktails.com/siesta-2/

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