The Monkey Gland Cocktail Recipe: A Classic Gin Drink

The Monkey Gland Cocktail Recipe: A Classic Gin Drink
A forgotten classic with a backstory as colourful as the drink itself.

A delectable cocktail with a rather gruesome backstory. A classic from bartending's Golden Age of the 1920s, the Monkey Gland was created by legendary Scottish bartender Harry MacElhone, of the famous Harry's New York Bar in Paris.

The cocktail took its inspiration from the works of maverick surgeon Serge Voronoff. Voronoff made his name by transplanting the testicles of monkeys into the elderly for "rejuvenation". Whilst we now know that the claims of Voronoff were nonsense, his operations did at least result in the creation of this wonderful and refreshing cocktail.

Don't forget to comment below or tag us on @liquorloot with your results.

Ingredients
60ml Gin
20ml Orange juice (freshly squeezed)
10ml Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
10ml Grenadine
1 dash Absinthe

Garnish Orange zest

Ice Cubes (for shaking)

Glass Cocktail glass

Equipment Checklist

Hawthorne Strainer Shaker
Fine Strainer Jigger

Recommended Gins

Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin

Instructions

1. Add all your ingredients to the shaker.

2. Fill shaker to the brim with cubes of ice.

3. Shake hard for 30 seconds.

4. Fine strain into an ice-cold cocktail glass.

Bartender’s Top Tips

Remember to chill your glass in the freezer for 5 minutes before you fill it, to keep your drink colder and fresher for longer.

Fine straining through a mesh strainer (like a tea strainer), removes all the small chips of ice to create a silky smooth texture.

In this article