White Monkey
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 14.2% ABV ∙
The White Monkey is a shaken pisco sour-style cocktail built on pisco and dry vermouth, rounded out with lemon, orgeat, and milk. The shake whips the milk into a soft, frothy cushion that softens the tart edge, leaving a nutty, faintly herbal finish with a cool mint lift.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Pisco 30 mlDry vermouth 30 mlLemon juice 15 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 10 mlMilk 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a mint leaf
Tips
- Fine-strain after shaking to catch any milk solids and ice shards, leaving the coupe pour glossy and smooth.
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining so the drink doesn't lose its temperature the moment it hits the glass.
- Add the aromatic bitters dashes before shaking, not after, so they integrate fully into the milk and lemon rather than floating on top.
- Shake hard and briefly to emulsify the milk and orgeat without over-diluting the pisco and vermouth base.
History
The White Monkey is a modern pisco cocktail created by New York City bartender Tom Richter. Richter built the drink around pisco's grape-forward character, drawing inspiration from white gazpacho, a cold Spanish soup he often cooked that combines grapes, almonds, and milk. Following that structure, he paired the pisco with almond-based orgeat and milk, balanced with dry vermouth and citrus, rather than making the drink overtly creamy.
FAQ
What is the White Monkey?
The White Monkey is a shaken pisco and dry vermouth cocktail, given a creamy texture from a splash of milk and orgeat, fine-strained into a chilled coupe and garnished with a mint leaf. It comes in at about 14.2% ABV and roughly 148 calories per serving.
