The Jungle Bird from Golden Girl Rum Club

I have a confession. I love the idea of being that person who sips on a Campari and OJ purely for pleasure, but I am not. I do it for the gram. I realized this after I spent $30 on a bottle of Campari and struggled to find a way to enjoy it. Even though I know I don’t really like the taste of Campari, I still frequently find myself wanting to order a drink at the bar simply because it contains Campari. The red hue is just too good! On a recent trip to Golden Girl Rum Club (137 Park Central Square, Springfield, 417-425-5162) I once again failed to resist the draw of a Campari cocktail, but this time I fell in love. The Jungle Bird is a Malaysian cocktail that dates back to the ’80s. Dark rum (also not typically my favorite), Campari, molasses, pineapple and lime juices mysteriously blend into a juicy, fruity, refreshing elixir. The Jungle Bird isn’t overly sweet because the bitterness from the rum and liquor manage to balance the sweetness of the pineapple and molasses perfectly. The pineapple and lime also add a nice acidic zing that will make this your favorite end-of-summer sipper.