On July 6, 1973 a special occasion was celebrated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was the grand opening of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton, the first 5-star hotel in the country. For the occasion the hotel wanted to offer their guests a refreshing tropical drink so the beverage manager, Jeffrey Ong, was set to work. He created a Tiki-style mix of Jamaican dark rum, Campari, lime, pineapple juice and sugar syrup and named it Jungle Bird, a rather fitting name as it was served in the hotels Aviary Bar. The bar featured a glass panel overlooking an aviary next to the swimming pool, hence the name. Originally the cocktail was served in a bird shaped ceramic mug and was sipped from an opening in the tail.

The drink has kept its popularity but it took many years before it became an international hit, partly thanks to Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s book “Intoxica” featuring exotic drinks from the golden age of the tiki bar.

When Jeffrey Ong passed away in 2019 the national Malaysian newspaper stated in the obituary that he was “the creator of Malaysia’s only internationally recognized classic cocktail”.

The glass was designed by Dutch designer Lara van der Lugt and is called Radiant.

Product information

This is one in a series of illustrations of classic cocktail recipes with a selection of the most beautifully designed glasses.

The size 40x50 cm (approx 16x20”) are signed and printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White 310g archival paper and are sold in a limited edition of 50 prints.

The size 30x40 cm (approx 12x16”) are printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art Studio Enhanced 210g archival paper.