The first thing that you need to keep in mind when it comes to my recipe for jungle juice is that there are no rules. All you need to do is have fun as you pour in your favorite ingredients and both you and your guests will love the result.

I first tasted this drink when I was in college, back in the day when I could drink all night and show up to a lecture in the morning, how I miss those days!

The thing I remember loving about it even then was how fruity it was.

I enjoyed the drink so much that I forgot to keep count and well, the rest is history. Be sure to take it slow with this drink. It tastes great, and it’s easy to forget that it has alcohol. And trust me, the percentage is pretty high in the jungle juice recipe variations I’m about to share.

Now Let’s Find Out, What Is Jungle Juice?

This fruit and alcohol mix makes this drink a favorite especially for college campuses across the world. And you can also make some when you are expecting guests. It doesn’t take up much time to make it, and the ingredients you need aren’t that many.

I will again insist on caution.

I have seen someone drink one cup of this mix and go missing for hours on end. Remember, it is jungle juice, and it will lead to a wild night if not taken responsibly. If you are curious as to how you can get your hands on this drink, you’re in luck. You don’t have to attend a frat house party, and you can make it from the comfort of your home.

Here’s how: I will give you two variations of this drink, and the difference lies in the basis of the mix. The options are lemonade and vodka-based, and the variants are as per the names.

Tips on making the best jungle juice

Take note of the alcohol percentage

If you’re making this drink for the first time, be sure to pay attention to the percentage of alcohol in the mix. You are at liberty to make it as strong or as weak as you wish. Most recipes you find will result in about twenty percent alcohol which is pretty high for a beginner.

Even mine will give you this amount on average which can be overwhelming for a first timer. You can alter the ratio of the alcohol to the mixers to get a number that works for both you and your guests.

It is better to play it safe than to end up with a situation at the end of the day.

Where I have indicated that you should measure an ingredient using cans, it refers to a regular can. A typical can should carry about 330 ml. Most tend to be in the ranges of 300 – 350 ml. If you use a can within this range, then you should be on the right track and the results you get from using a 350 ml container won’t differ much from what you would get when using a 300 ml can.

The alcohol percentage will vary though, but this is something that you can quickly fix by calculating the ratio beforehand.

Getting the best flavor – Patience is key!

It’s easy to look for ways to cut corners when making this drink but doing so will adversely affect the results. Take an example of the part where you need to soak the fruit to get the flavors in the juice. Some people opt to squeeze the fruits so that they can save time and move on to other steps.

Though this may work, the resultant drink has fewer flavors than what you would have achieved through soaking and is thus less sweet. Allow the fruits to soak, and you will appreciate how great the drink will taste as a result. I have tried both methods, and I can now admit that patience is the key to fantastic jungle juice.

How Much Should You Make?

Before you start mixing the drink, you should look into what container you will use as this will determine how much of the juice you can make. I find that using a bowl with a spout makes things more comfortable as you can forego looking for other means in which you can serve the drink.

If you are hosting a huge party, you can go for a big ice chest which features a lot at events where there are hundreds of people. However, if you are looking to host something small you can do with a water cooler. Again, it’s all about what works for you and your guests, and you can be as creative as you want.

Be sure to start with this step as it can affect the subsequent stages.

I know I said that there are no rules when it comes to making this drink and this is true for the most part. People often state that the best way to get great results is to go wild and put everything that you can lay your hands on in the mix. Don’t do that. The chances are high that you will make a ton of jungle juice that nobody wants to drink because it is disgusting.

You have to be careful with what you add, and you are sure to get amazing results if you use clear liquors. Go for drinks such as rum and vodka which have high alcohol contents and which mix well with the other ingredients in play.

Once you have created the base for your mix, you can then add fruity liqueurs which will add on to the taste and make your drink even better. The problem with adding everything is that you may reach for tequilas, bourbons, and whiskeys which have intense flavors that end up overpowering the sweetness of the juice.

More water! Economical and time saving

Here is a tip that works especially when you are making jungle juice for a large crowd: use water as your main ingredient. Not only will this step save you tons of money but you will also save time, which is essential when you are hosting many guests.

An ice chest can be quite hard to fill with juices and alcohols, and you may end up digging into your pocket much more than you had anticipated. Instead of dealing with such a situation, opt to use concentrates and powders of your favorite fruit juices and add water to increase the mixture.

The result will be just as juicy, and the guests will be none the wiser. However, if you aren’t hosting that many people, do it the old school way as you won’t spend much money then.

Fresh fruits are essential!

Though you can easily substitute fruit juices with their concentrates, I would not encourage you to do the same when it comes to fruits which are the main ingredient in this drink. It’s quite easy to find fruits during most of the seasons, and they have an undeniable effect on the jungle juice.

Do whatever it takes to get some fruit, and you will see what I mean by this. Whether you need to borrow some or travel miles away to get some fresh fruit, do it. I’m kidding though. It shouldn’t be that hard to get some fresh fruit to toss into your drink.

Sometimes, people wait until the last minute to make this drink, and they end up stating that the results were not quite what they had expected. Where does the difference come from? It’s always in the sitting time. The less time you spend in making the drink, the less time that the fruit has to mix with the juice and thus the flavors do not seep in enough.

The best way to go about this is to allow the mix to sit overnight once you finish adding the fruit. By the time you start enjoying it, the juice will be bursting with flavors, and you can get the party started!

You can serve your juice with the fruit in it, or you can take it out. I prefer the latter option where I set the fruit on plates for guests to enjoy. It’s a mix of fruitiness and alcohol and people love them. You can then place some ice cubes in solo cups and add the juice so that people can celebrate their wild side!

How to Make Jungle Juice

I will start with the vodka jungle juice before giving you a variation on the same.

Vodka-based jungle juice

Ingredients

  • A liter of Everclear Vodka
  • Three 1.75 liters of your preferred vodka
  • One bottle of peach schnapps
  • One bottle of apple schnapps
  • One bottle of sour apple schnapps
  • One US pint of Bacardi 151 rum
  • Ten 1 liter bottles of sprite
  • A liter of sunny delight
  • A litter of triple sec
  • 1.75 liters of gin
  • Four bottles of Strawberry Hill Wine
  • Eight liters of Hawaiian Punch
  • Two containers of orange juice
  • Six diced apples
  • One sliced lemon
  • Three sliced oranges

Directions

Start by gathering all the ingredients as you calculate the alcohol content to see if you need to make any changes before preparation. If you are okay with the proportions, you can then proceed to the next steps. You are free to make substitutions as long as you avoid using drinks that will affect the result adversely.

Begin by cutting the fruits into the desired sizes. For the apples, you will get the best results if they are in small cubes as they will have more surfaces exposed to the drink and this will make the seeping of flavors easy. For the oranges and the lemon, thin slices work best. It’s all about creating room for the tastes to seep out.

Get a large bowl that is big enough to accommodate all the ingredients and pour in all the liquid ingredients. Stir them with a sizeable stirring spoon until they evenly combine. A punch bowl is ideal for this step.

You can now add the sliced fruit to the bowl and let it soak.

Ideally, this step should take place at least four to five hours before the guests arrive as this will give the fruit ample time to not only flavor the drink but also to absorb the alcohol. As the fruit sits in the bowl, be sure to stir it now and then to combine the ingredients. For best results, let the fruit sit in the mix overnight.

If you used a bowl with a spout, serving the drinks should be as easy as turning the tap on and letting your guests go crazy. If this is not the case, you can easily use a large spoon to serve the juice in solo cups or clear plastic cups.

Be sure not to let your guests dip their cups into the punch as this is unsanitary. And believe me, you, once they have had a taste of how good the juice is, they will want to get to it by all means possible. That’s why I advocate for the spout.

Lemonade Jungle Juice

If you are looking for a jungle punch that is a much more citrusy than the one above, this one will do. It’s a great jungle juice on a budget as you will need only five ingredients to get it right. It’s my go-to when I need to make a jungle punch on short notice.

Ingredients

You will require:

  • Two bottles of grain vodka
  • Four cans of lemonade mix
  • Two cans of ginger ale
  • Three diced lemons
  • Three cups of ice

Directions

The taste of this drink lies in the use of lemons for that citrusy taste, and you’ll need these fruits to flavor the lemonade. Cut the lemons into thin slices, as small as you can and set them aside.

Next, take the lemonade mix cans and combine them with water as per the instructions to create lemonade. You can alter the amount of water used, depending on what you want to achieve.

You can now place the lemonade mix in a large bowl before adding the ginger ale, lemons, and ice. Mix the ingredients until they combine evenly. For this punch, you do not have to let the fruits soak, and you can serve it immediately using a spout or a spoon, which makes it a simple jungle juice recipe.

There are lots of other ways in which you can make a jungle drink, and I find that these two recipes will help you out whether you are hosting many people or you want to serve something fun for a few friends. You can alter the jungle juice recipe ingredients based on the number of servings you wish to have. I hope you enjoyed this recipe, thank you!

Author

Peter's path through the culinary world has taken a number of unexpected turns. After starting out as a waiter at the age of 16, he was inspired to go to culinary school and learn the tricks of the trade. As he delved deeper, however, his career took a sudden turn when a family friend needed someone to help manage his business. Peter now scratches his culinary itch on the internet by blogging, sharing recipes, and socializing with food enthusiasts worldwide.

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