Monkeys Go Bananas
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 32.1% ABV ∙
The Monkeys Go Bananas is a stirred, spirit-forward Scotch cocktail built with banana liqueur and a touch of herbal liqueur and absinthe. Malty Scotch leads, ripened by soft banana sweetness, with a whisper of anise and herbal bitterness tightening a long, dry finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 50 mlBanana liqueur 10 mlHerbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) 5 mlAbsinthe 1 dashSaline solution 1 dash
- Strain into the ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice)
- Garnish with a dried banana chip
Tips
- Stir over a large ice cube for smooth dilution without watering down the Scotch base.
- Measure the banana liqueur carefully; too heavy a pour turns the drink cloying and masks the Scotch.
- Add the absinthe as a single dash, not a pour — it should season the drink, not dominate it.
History
Monkeys Go Bananas is a modern riff on the Old Fashioned created in 2023 by bartender Audrey Marculescu of Mobster Bar in Paris, a Prohibition-themed speakeasy. Her build swaps in banana liqueur alongside a dash of absinthe and an herbal liqueur, giving the whisky-based classic a fruity, funky twist rather than the plain sugar-and-bitters profile of the original.
The Old Fashioned itself is generally traced to the Pendennis Club, a private club in Louisville, Kentucky, where it is said to have been mixed for bourbon distiller James E. Pepper in the late 19th century, though the exact story is one of several competing claimant accounts for the drink's origin.
FAQ
What is in a Monkeys Go Bananas cocktail?
Blended Scotch whisky, banana liqueur, an herbal liqueur such as Yellow Chartreuse, and a dash each of absinthe and saline solution, stirred with ice and strained over a large ice cube. It is garnished with a dried banana chip and served in an old-fashioned glass.
Is a Monkeys Go Bananas shaken or stirred?
Stirred. The all-spirit build has no juice or egg to aerate, so stirring chills and dilutes it while keeping the drink clear and silky.
How strong is a Monkeys Go Bananas?
About 32.1% ABV, making it a firm, spirit-forward sipping cocktail rather than a session drink. The dilution from stirring over ice softens that strength without thinning the Scotch character.
