Monkey gland (cocktail)

Monkey Gland

IBA official cocktail
Type	Cocktail
Base spirit	Gin
Served	Straight up: chilled, without ice
Standard drinkware	Cocktail glass
IBA specified ingredients†	45 ml gin 45 ml orange juice 1 tablespoon absinthe 1 tablespoon grenadine
Preparation	Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, shake well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Commonly served	All Day
† Monkey Gland recipe at International Bartenders Association

The Monkey Gland is a cocktail of gin, orange juice, grenadine and absinthe created in the 1920s by Harry MacElhone, owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris, France. ^[1]

Some recipes substitute absinthe with pastis or Bénédictine. ^[2]

The cocktail is known for its distinctive flavor, which combines the sweetness of orange with the herbal, slightly bitter notes of absinthe, creating a complex and intriguing profile. ^[3]

It is named after the pseudo-scientific idea that grafting monkey testicle tissue into humans would increase longevity, the idea developed by the Russian doctor Serge Voronoff. ^[4]

References

1. Chirico, Rob (2005). Field Guide to Cocktails. Quirk Productions. p. 189. ISBN   1-59474-063-1.
2. Haigh, Ted (2009). Vintage spirits and forgotten cocktails : from the alamagoozlum to the zombie and beyond : 100 rediscovered recipes and the stories behind them (Deluxe; rev. & expanded ed.). Beverly, Mass.: Quarry Books. pp. 212–213. ISBN   9781592535613. OCLC   1023288091.
3. Valencourt, Aurelia. "Monkey Gland". AureliaValencourt. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
4. Hirst, Christopher (October 8, 2005). "101 cocktails that shook the world #37: The Monkey Gland". Features. The Independent . p. 57.