Modern Tiki Classic, the Black Strap Jungle Bird

The world of Tiki Culture can be broken into classic and modern. One of the modern tiki drinks that has become an instant classic is the Black Strap Jungle Bird. But first a little back ground. We were enjoying an after work cocktail at Shag Bark a really top notch restaurant in Richmond Va. The restaurant does really great food but I like the fact that they obviously took their bar service very seriously. A discussion started about my Singapore Sling and the inclusion of Cherry Herring. The beverage manager, a very engaging gentleman and I quickly delved deeply into Tiki Culture. He offered to make me a drink that I had never heard of and of course I eagerly agreed. Telling the the history of the Black Strap Jungle Bird while he mixed it, I learned how the drink originated. As is critical with any Tiki Classic, you need to know the name of the original artist who created it. Giuseppe Gonzalez, owner of the Suffolk Arms in New York, took the original Jungle Bird and made a couple of critical changes. The use of Black Strap Rum and cutting back on the fruit juice, changed this drink into a complex and intriguing cocktail. I must confess upon my first sip, my first reaction was how can force this down and convince my new friend that it wasn’t horrible. About half way through my drink, I started thinking, wait a minute, there are a lot of things going on in my mouth, this drink isn’t so bad. By the time I finished my Black Strap Jungle Bird, all I wanted was another. As proof for me that the this is a special drink, the first thing I thought about the next morning was how much I really enjoyed the Modern Tiki Classic, the Black Strap Jungle Bird