How to Make a Yellow Bird Drink (9 Steps)

With a mix of sweet tropical fruit juices, the Yellow Bird sounds more like a cloying smoothie than a cocktail, but it works, thanks to Galliano. Galliano, an herb-based liqueur containing star anise, vanilla and lavender, reels in the Yellow Bird's sweetness and marries it with its primary and secondary liquors, light rum and vodka. Variations abound, but the light-and-dark yellow bird and country singer Trisha Yearwood's Old Yeller showcase the drink's range.

Things You'll Need

Highball, hurricane glass or Collins glass
Cocktail shaker or blender
Classic:
Vodka
Galliano
151-proof light rum
Sweet and sour mix
Orange slice, lime wedge or pineapple chunk
Light-and-Dark:
Lime juice

Light rum
Dark rum
Fresh mint
Maraschino cherry
Candied orange slice
Old Yeller:
Banana liqueur
Spiced rum
Orange juice
Frozen pineapple chunks

Classic Yellow Bird

Add 1 part vodka, 1 part Galliano and 2 parts 151-proof light rum to a highball or hurricane glass.
Pour 8 parts sweet and sour mix into a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice and shake it vigorously.
Pour the sweet and sour into the glass. Garnish the drink with an orange slice, a lime wedge or a pineapple chunk.

Light-and-Dark Yellow Bird

Fill a Collins glass half full of crushed ice.
Add 1 part Galliano, 2 parts lime juice, 4 parts light rum and 4 parts dark rum to a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice and shake.
Pour the yellow bird over the ice. Garnish with fresh mint, a stem-on cherry and a candied orange slice.

Trisha Yearwood's Old Yeller

Add 1 part banana liqueur, 2 parts orange juice, 3 parts spiced rum and 12 parts frozen pineapple chunks to a blender and mix until smooth.
Check the consistency and adjust as needed with more frozen pineapple or orange juice.
Pour the Old Yeller in a chilled Collins glass and garnish with orange slices.

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