This 5-Ingredient Jungle Spritz Cocktail Tastes Like a Tropical Vacation in a Glass

Selecting the drink of summer every year is not a task we take lightly. In fact, more than a month of research—and more than 50 interviews with mixologists from coast to coast—helped inform our choice for 2025: The Spa Spritz. So much inspiration poured out from those interviews that we were able to highlight 7 runners-up worth trying, including one concept that our entire staff couldn’t stop buzzing about: The Jungle Spritz.

We still swoon over the Spa Spritz and stand by it as the perfect drink of summer for 2025, but the Jungle Spritz was a close contender. It’s “the one that got away,” if you will. Our food team found this cocktail recipe such a worthy candidate, in fact, that we tapped our Test Kitchen to test and perfect a formula for how to make the Jungle Spritz.

What Is the Jungle Spritz?

Credit for this creative mash-up cocktail recipe goes to Wild Dunes Resort’s lead bartender, Jessica Backhus, who tells us “it’s a love letter to two well-established classics. The Jungle Bird—made with dark rum, pineapple, Campari, and lime—is one of my go-to vacation cocktails, and an Aperol Spritz is one of the most iconic and refreshing beverages out there.”

Besides both being two of her personal happy hour picks, Backhus says that the Jungle Bird and Aperol Spritz are natural companions because they share a common element: low-alcohol Italian bitter liqueurs. Campari (24% ABV) and its slightly sweeter cousin, Aperol (11% ABV), are infused with botanicals that  “boost complexity and create a colorful, balanced, and sophisticated drink in a splash,” Backhus says. 

In tandem with aged rum, pineapple juice, and sparkling wine, “the Jungle Spritz invokes beach vacation vibes no matter your geography. It’s fairly low in alcohol, effervescent, and balanced, so you can sip on this invigorating beverage any time of day. This summer is shaping up to be a hot one, so my big beverage buzz word is 'refreshing.’ And this most definitely delivers!”

Jungle Spritz Ingredients

Backhus describes the Jungle Spritz as a “chameleon cocktail” because “you easily can adapt it to be as simple or complex and as light and refreshing as you like,” she says. 

We adore the Test Kitchen’s easy and well-balanced recipe below, however, you have our permission to break the “rules.” Turning dials like opting for Aperol Spritz or Campari, adding a little more or less juice, or using all sparkling wine instead of sparkling water, for instance, make it possible to choose your own adventure. Backhus advises that “as long as you keep in mind the balance of bitter and sweet, and lean into the bubbly boost of effervescence, you will have a summer filled with satisfying sipping!”

Here’s what you’ll need to make a Jungle Spritz cocktail:

• Pineapple juice: This fruit juice lends a dose of tropical flair and sweet-tart flavor. Brands like Dole, R.W. Knudsen, and Libby’s are available at many major retailers.
• Aged rum: The original Jungle Bird calls for blackstrap rum, which is a very dark spiced rum, Backhus tells us. “I prefer to use aged rum because the amber color and vanilla and spice characteristics come naturally from barrel-aging. This process creates a smooth, balanced and delicious rum that holds up to the other bold ingredients in the cocktail.” That said, feel free to use any rum you have handy and enjoy. Or skip the rum and use tequila or vodka instead.
• Campari: Citrusy Campari is a little more intense than Aperol. (The bitterness is an asset here, as it complements the sweet pineapple.) If you substitute with Aperol, which is slightly lighter and sweeter, Backhus recommends adding the juice of half of a lime for a little more acidity and balance.
• Sparkling wine: Dry wines are low in residual sugars, and as a result, not as sweet as their higher-sugar peers. This allows their crisp acidity and refreshing nature to really shine through. Cava, Prosecco, Champagne, or sparkling wine are all solid options. If the vino is from France, look for “brut” on the label—this means “dry.”
• Club soda: Traditional spritzes follow a 3-2-1 formula of 3 ounces sparkling wine, 2 ounces liqueur, and 1 ounce club soda. We have a few additional players here (with the rum and juice in the mix), so we’re going a bit off script. But the purpose of the fizzy water remains the same: to top things off and result in an easy-drinking, lower-ABV option. Add a little or a lot; or skip it entirely and replace with an extra splash of sparkling wine.