The Monkey Gland is a classic cocktail from the 1920s from the famous Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. Gin, orange juice, grenadine, and absinthe make a lovely vibrant cocktail that is easy to drink. the secret to a successful, Monkey Glad is not overdoing the ingredients, too much of any one thing will throw off the balance and make this cocktail taste like medicine. You want to choose a smooth easy to drink gin such as Spring44 to balance out the other flavors. This is another of those cocktails with just a hint of that “forbidden liquor,” absinthe. It adds just that hint of flavor that though I am not a licorice fan, I enjoy it in very small doses in a good cocktail. Another great example is the Corpse Revivor #2 that, at the moment, is my absolute go-to cocktail.
There are several famous cocktails that come from this Paris watering hole, The Monkey Gland along with the Bloody Mary, the White lady, the Boulevardier are from this classic bar. The story goes, the original bar was in New York City, but to escape prohibition, the entire bar, including the woodwork, was packed up and shipped to Paris. One of the Bartenders bought the bar when it was on hard times and put his name in front of the New York, and it’s been Harry’s New York Bar ever since. This Parisian bar has been the host of many famous celebrities over the years, from Ernest Hemmingway to Coco Channel and Humphry Bogart, and it still is going strong even today.
The Monkey Gland was invented as a response to a bizarre theory. A surgeon named Serge Voronoff came up with the idea that if you grafted monkey testicle tissue to human reproductive organs, it increased life expectancy. The procedure promised “rejuvenation” in the form of youthful energy, prolonged life, and other various health improvements. An increase in sexual ability was also implied, and undoubtedly the focus of why one would graft monkey balls onto someone. Did it increase life longevity? Of course not. Those poor monkeys! But the Monkey Gland was invented probably as a silly answer to the hypothesis. There are no monkeys hurt in the making of this cocktail!
I hope you try a Monkey Gland at your next cocktail endeavor. It is a delicious sipper and a fun drink to talk about its history. I hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy. Please think of others in your choices. We all need to get through this world together. Until next time!
- 1 dash absinthe
- 2 oz gin I used Spring44 Gin
- 1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ oz grenadine
- Orange slice or flamed orange peel, for garnish
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Chill a coupe or martini glass until very cold.
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Coat the inside of the chilled cocktail glass with a dash of absinthe and pour out any surplus liquid. Or use several sprays from an atomizer.
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Pour the gin, orange juice, and grenadine into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice cubes and shake until chilled.
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Double strain into the absinthe-coated glass.
