Monkey Gland No. 2
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 23.9% ABV ∙
A Monkey Gland No. 2 is a gin sour built with Bénédictine, fresh orange juice, and grenadine, shaken and served over ice. Silky and bright, with a juicy citrus tang balanced against honeyed herbal depth and a soft, rounded, faintly spiced finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 40 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 10 mlOrange juice 25 mlGrenadine syrup 5 mlOrange bitters 2 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with an orange slice
Tips
- Use freshly squeezed orange juice, not bottled — it keeps the shake bright instead of dull and syrupy.
- Add the orange bitters at the shake stage, not as a float, so they season the whole drink rather than just the top.
- Shake hard and strain into the ice-filled glass right away, so the drink stays cold without over-diluting.
History
Monkey Gland No. 2 has no separate creation story of its own; it is a named variant build of the Monkey Gland that swaps in Bénédictine for absinthe, following a substitution bartenders adopted once absinthe became hard to find or illegal in much of the world.
The original Monkey Gland was created in the 1920s by Harry MacElhone, owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris, who is credited with the drink in his own cocktail books; its name comes from the pseudo-scientific rejuvenation procedure of Russian-born surgeon Serge Voronoff, who grafted monkey testicular tissue onto human patients claiming it restored youth and vigor. The Bénédictine version, sometimes labeled "No. 2," became the standard workaround during decades when absinthe was banned in the United States and elsewhere, replacing the original's anise-and-herb note with the honeyed, spiced sweetness of the French liqueur.
FAQ
What is the best garnish for a Monkey Gland?
An orange slice is the standard garnish for a Monkey Gland No. 2, echoing the orange juice already in the shake. It is simple, needs no extra tools, and its citrus oils complement the drink's orange and Bénédictine notes as you drink.
