Jungle juice
Encyclopedia
Jungle juice is the name given to a improvised mix of liquor that is usually served for group consumption.
Most jungle juice mixtures contain large quantities of hard alcohol mixed with a variety of fruit juices. For example, jungle juice may contain Everclear
, rum
, gin
, tequila
, vodka
, and whiskey, mixed with orange
, grapefruit
, grape
, apple
, pineapple
, or other juices for flavor and to stretch the quantity of alcohol
. In addition, most jungle juice batches contain chunks of various fruits, such as pineapples, watermelons, or grapes. Another common recipe for large batches mixes Everclear
and frozen juice concentrate
in a large container, such as a garbage can, diluted with tap water to the desired strength. Jungle juice can also be made with Kool-Aid
; this is sometimes called "Hunch Punch." A gin-based drink is the gin bucket
, containing gin, fruits, and Fresca
and served out of a suitably sized bucket.
Jungle juice is sometimes called spodie (suh-pO-dee) or wop. It is often an inexpensive means of getting many people intoxicated at parties. Every celebrant brings something to contribute to the festivities. Any fruit juice or soda is an acceptable addition to the mix. Fruit-based and neutral alcohols are also good. Brown alcohols, especially whiskey, are not used, as they make the wop unpalatable, nor beer, which creates an unpleasant flavor. The fruit is usually eaten as well, as it will have absorbed considerable alcohol.
Jungle juice is popular on college campuses in the United States
. There are numerous recipe variations.
The term has also been used for similar less-than-reputable alcoholic concoctions.
Alternatively it has been suggested that the pioneers of the drink were soldiers in the military stationed in a jungle, who threw together what alcohol and other drinks they had.
It has been noted that US Marines in the Pacific Theater of WWII coined the term from mixing various alcohols with juice in canteens or other vessels. Namely coconut, pineapple, or any other juice that may have been attained locally or via supply.
Dom's Hunch Punch, Hairy Buffalo, Panty Dropping Punch, and Purple Jesus are other common names for the potent concoction.
An Atlantic Monthly short story described jungle juice as being prepared in the Navy serving in tropical areas by pouring assorted juice concentrates in a jerrycan
, diluting that with water, and letting it sit in the sun so the mix would ferment - no additional alcohol was part of the mix, the US Navy being 'dry
' at the time.
In Australia jungle juice refers to a cask wine (goon)
and vodka based punch, mixed with soft drink and juice concentrate or cordial. Orange or tropical are the most common flavours of jungle juice, however raspberry, lime and sarsaparilla juices have been experimented with. It is commonly made up in eskys
or buckets.
Most jungle juice mixtures contain large quantities of hard alcohol mixed with a variety of fruit juices. For example, jungle juice may contain Everclear
Everclear (alcohol)
Everclear is a brand of neutral grain spirit manufactured by Luxco . Everclear is relatively low in congeners and is available in concentrations of 151- and 190-proof, which are 75.5 and 95 percent alcohol, respectively...
, rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
, tequila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
, vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, and whiskey, mixed with orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
, grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
, apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
, or other juices for flavor and to stretch the quantity of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. In addition, most jungle juice batches contain chunks of various fruits, such as pineapples, watermelons, or grapes. Another common recipe for large batches mixes Everclear
Everclear (alcohol)
Everclear is a brand of neutral grain spirit manufactured by Luxco . Everclear is relatively low in congeners and is available in concentrations of 151- and 190-proof, which are 75.5 and 95 percent alcohol, respectively...
and frozen juice concentrate
Concentrate
A concentrate is a form of substance which has had the majority of its base component removed. Typically this will be the removal of water from a solution or suspension such as the removal of water from fruit juice...
in a large container, such as a garbage can, diluted with tap water to the desired strength. Jungle juice can also be made with Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
; this is sometimes called "Hunch Punch." A gin-based drink is the gin bucket
Gin bucket
A gin bucket is an American mixed drink consisting of gin and typically Fresca placed in a suitably sized bucket, with ice and chopped fruit added...
, containing gin, fruits, and Fresca
Fresca
Fresca is a citrus diet soft drink made by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in the United States in 1966, the drink is now sold throughout the American continent...
and served out of a suitably sized bucket.
Jungle juice is sometimes called spodie (suh-pO-dee) or wop. It is often an inexpensive means of getting many people intoxicated at parties. Every celebrant brings something to contribute to the festivities. Any fruit juice or soda is an acceptable addition to the mix. Fruit-based and neutral alcohols are also good. Brown alcohols, especially whiskey, are not used, as they make the wop unpalatable, nor beer, which creates an unpleasant flavor. The fruit is usually eaten as well, as it will have absorbed considerable alcohol.
Jungle juice is popular on college campuses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. There are numerous recipe variations.
The term has also been used for similar less-than-reputable alcoholic concoctions.
Etymology
There are several popular explanations regarding the origin of the name. Generally, it is believed that the name originates from the drink's potency, causing an extreme state of inebriation and thus causing the drinker to exhibit animal-like behavior.Alternatively it has been suggested that the pioneers of the drink were soldiers in the military stationed in a jungle, who threw together what alcohol and other drinks they had.
It has been noted that US Marines in the Pacific Theater of WWII coined the term from mixing various alcohols with juice in canteens or other vessels. Namely coconut, pineapple, or any other juice that may have been attained locally or via supply.
Dom's Hunch Punch, Hairy Buffalo, Panty Dropping Punch, and Purple Jesus are other common names for the potent concoction.
An Atlantic Monthly short story described jungle juice as being prepared in the Navy serving in tropical areas by pouring assorted juice concentrates in a jerrycan
Jerrycan
A jerrycan is a robust fuel container originally made from pressed steel. It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel. The development of the Jerrycan was a huge improvement on earlier designs, which required tools and funnels to use.-Uses:Today similar...
, diluting that with water, and letting it sit in the sun so the mix would ferment - no additional alcohol was part of the mix, the US Navy being 'dry
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
' at the time.
In Australia jungle juice refers to a cask wine (goon)
Box wine
A box wine is a wine packaged as a Bag-In-Box. Such packages contain a plastic bladder protected by a box, usually made of corrugated fiberboard.- History :...
and vodka based punch, mixed with soft drink and juice concentrate or cordial. Orange or tropical are the most common flavours of jungle juice, however raspberry, lime and sarsaparilla juices have been experimented with. It is commonly made up in eskys
Esky
Esky is an Australian brand of coolers. Outdoor recreation company Coleman Australia bought the Esky brand from Nylex Ltd after the Company went into administration in February 2009.The name is a reference to the association of Eskimos with cold climates....
or buckets.