Monkey Gland
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.5% ABV ∙
The Monkey Gland is an official IBA classic shaken sour built on London dry gin, fresh orange juice, absinthe, and grenadine, served up in a cocktail glass. Frothy and bright on the tongue, with a fleeting anise whisper underneath and a faintly sweet, tart finish that lingers pleasantly.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 45 mlOrange juice 45 mlAbsinthe 5 mlGrenadine syrup 5 ml
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
Tips
- Use fresh-squeezed orange juice rather than carton juice — it keeps the shake from tasting flat or overly sugary.
- Add the grenadine last before shaking so it doesn't sink and over-sweeten the bottom of the shaker unevenly.
- Measure the absinthe carefully — even a few extra drops will push the anise note over the orange and gin.
History
The Monkey Gland is a gin cocktail built with orange juice, absinthe, and grenadine that dates to the early 1920s Paris bar scene, though reports of a nearly identical drink already circulating in London as early as 1919 complicate any single origin story. Most accounts credit Harry MacElhone, owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris, as its creator, noting that the drink appears in his own 1922 book Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, where he claimed authorship. Some historians instead point to Frank Meier, bartender at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, who was reported by the Washington Post in the early 1920s to be serving the drink as a specialty at his bar, leaving the true inventor disputed between the two men, or possibly predating both.
The cocktail takes its name from a fashionable and controversial medical procedure of the era developed by Serge Voronoff, a Russian-born surgeon working in France, who grafted monkey testicle tissue onto aging men in the belief it would restore youth and vitality. The drink's provocative name capitalized on the notoriety of Voronoff's rejuvenation experiments, which were widely publicized in the press during the 1920s before falling out of favor as quack medicine by the following decade.
FAQ
What is in a Monkey Gland cocktail?
London dry gin, orange juice, absinthe, and grenadine syrup, shaken with ice and strained up into a chilled cocktail glass. The absinthe and grenadine are used in small amounts, just enough to perfume the gin and orange juice rather than dominate them.
How strong is a Monkey Gland?
About 20.5% ABV as served, making it noticeably lighter than a straight gin drink since the orange juice makes up half the volume.
What is the best garnish for a Monkey Gland?
An orange twist or orange peel is the classic choice, echoing the juice in the glass without adding extra sweetness. A cherry is sometimes used instead if a splash of color is wanted.
What is a monkey gland?
A Monkey Gland is the name of a shaken gin cocktail brightened with orange juice and a touch of absinthe and grenadine, with no literal connection to the anatomical term it references. The odd name nods to an early-20th-century medical fad rather than anything actually in the glass.
