Bright and citrus-forward, the Yellow Bird sets white rum and tart lime against the herbal, vanilla-anise sweetness of Galliano, while triple sec adds a lift of orange. Shaken hard and served up, it glows a sunny gold and drinks as a breezy, approachable sour — sharp at the edges, soft and aromatic underneath.
Shaken · Coupe · Up
add
Combine white rum, Galliano, triple sec, and lime juice in a shaker.
shake
Add ice and shake well until thoroughly chilled, about 10–15 seconds.
strain
Strain into a chilled coupe, served straight up.
No bartender, bar or year has ever been documented for the Yellow Bird, a Caribbean drink whose very name is of uncertain origin. The most repeated explanation ties it to "Yellow Bird," a Haitian song from 1957 that became a Caribbean standard through Harry Belafonte and Arthur Lyman, whose recording followed in 1961; a rival theory points instead to the golden tint Galliano lends the glass. Whatever its beginnings, the drink went on to join the IBA's official cocktails, which fix its build at two parts white rum to one part each of Galliano, triple sec and lime.