With a name like Desert Bird I expected today’s recipe to contain some sort of cactus, cactus fruit or maybe a winged creature of sorts. Even the juice, pineapple, is not even a desert fruit. Seriously, who can I talk to about this? It seems someone created this concoction as a variation of another cocktail “The Jungle Bird”. But what I found interesting about this recipe is that it is very similar to a drink that I have whipped up on the fly many times. Usually at an event where a guest say’s “surprise me” which is my absolute favorite request! But you guys know me and if I am going to write my own recipe then I have to give it my own twist! So, I will be creating today’s recipe with jalapeno tequila. Seriously, every tequila drink is made better with the addition of a jalapeno tequila. An old boot is better with the addition of jalapeno tequila. Am I conveying to you how much I love jalapeno tequila yet?
With that being said, this recipe calls for Campari, another bar staple that we know very little about. And with me being me being me I decided to look into this ingredient to see what the deal is with this spirit.
Created in 1860 by Gaspare Campari who began selling it in Milan, Italy among wild success. So much so, his son, Davide took over and opened his own bar to even greater success. This uniquely bitter spirit is low in alcohol and made with a blend of natural ingredients, like citrus peel, roots, herbs, and flowers, giving it a sweet and herbal flavor. (I won’t tell you what ingredient was originally used to give Campari its bright red color but here’s a hint: it would have given this recipe the wings I was looking for!) All of these qualities make Campari an aperitif, a drink meant to warm up your digestive system before a meal. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with all our American tummies, we haven’t been warming up sufficiently.
Recently, in 2003, The Campari Group bought the orange liqueur, officially combining both Aperol and Campari under one roof. But the 2 are not created equal. A hint to its bolder nature, Campari is both higher on the bitter scale and flashes a deep red hue while Aperol shows more of a bright orange like the sunset signaling its time to settle in for the evening. The two spirits can be served straight but they are more commonly accompanied by other beverages to make a cocktail.
I have faith the combination of jalapeno tequila, pineapple and Campari will knock your Crocs off! Give it a try and tell me what you think!
1 ½ oz jalapeno Tequila
¾ oz pineapple juice
½ oz Campari
½ oz fresh lime juice
Pinch of salt
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all the ingredients. Shake what ya mama gave ya and strain into a rocks glass and fill the rest of the way with ice.
Now I’m off to find the “bird” portion of this recipe. Cheers!