Five Tips To Ace This Perfect Monkey Gland Cocktail Recipe
As odd as its name sounds, the monkey gland is actually quite a delicious cocktail with a full flavour and a good balance that is a result of quality gin, citruses and sweet syrups coming together in your glass. The drink is made using a splash of premium London Dry gin and some grenadine syrup so that while the former sings with the soft and subtle taste of botanicals, the latter infuses a sweetness in the drink which balances the herbaceous notes of the spirit. It is only evident then that the monkey gland cocktail requires some serious mixology skills so you can arrive at the perfect balance which makes the drink stand out.
The origins of this interesting cocktail can be traced back to the late 1930s when it was crafted by Harry MacElhone, the owner of the Harry’s New York Bar in Paris and later made into his book, Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. According to Difford’s Guide, the drink acquired its curious name from the experiments of Dr. Serge Voronoff who was quite convinced that the male hormone testosterone was vital for a long life and would transplant monkey’s glands into Frenchmen as part of this scientific study.
Quirky origin stories notwithstanding, the drink has retained its popularity as a very elegant and refreshing cocktail whose recipe can be perfected over time. Read on below for some tips to prepare the monkey gland cocktail recipe that would take your drink from average, to perfect:
Absinthe Wash
The recipe to prepare the monkey gland cocktail involves giving your serving glass an absinthe wash that leaves behind is an enticing and sultry perfume of the anise flavoured liqueur. When you make this cocktail, be thorough with your absinthe wash and use the liqueur generously for rinsing the glass so its flavour is retained for a long time after the cocktail has been transferred from the shaker into the serving glass. This adds a complexity into a drink that would otherwise be a simple fruity mix.
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
One of the ways to elevate your cocktail recipes when you play mixologist at home is to use mixers and fruit juices that emerge from your kitchens. Orange juice adds citrusy notes to the drink making it tangy and zesty and just the right amount of fruity. And when you squeeze the juice at home, you can cut down on added sugars and use a pulp drink that has a slightly more elevated sourness and tang than the store bought version, making your cocktail more potent.
Quality Gin
As basic as it sounds, cocktail craft requires that you use quality spirits to make your drinks taste indulgent and luxe. When you are preparing a monkey gland cocktail go for Gordon’s The Original London Dry Gin full of juniper notes blended with other botanicals that make the drink crisp and refreshing. These mild but herby notes become a textural element that ties all the different fruity and sweet ingredients together for a well-balanced mix.
Homemade Grenadine
Making homemade mixers is a fun DIY activity to engage in, besides homemade syrups are more potent because you can adjust their flavours to suit your preferences. When you want to make a drink as flavorful as the monkey gland cocktail, make your own grenadine syrup by blending pomegranate juice with sugar and lemon juice according to the proportions that suit your palate. This would imbue the drink with an appealing acidity characteristic of the quirky mix.
Serve It Chilled
When you want to prepare the perfect monkey gland, make sure you serve it with lots of ice so that you can remain true to its origin story rooted in vitality and rejuvenation! Serving the drink cold highlights the acidic and tangy flavour components of the recipe making the gin cocktail quite an inviting treat.
