CLASSIC · DRY GIN

Monkey Gland

Name: Monkey Gland
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 drink
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Dry Gin; 45 ml Fresh Orange Juice; 15 ml Absinthe; 15 ml Grenadine Syrup; Ice Cubes

A Prohibition-era classic invented by Harry MacElhone at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, the Monkey Gland is a deceptively elegant gin sour with a mysterious depth courtesy of absinthe and grenadine.

Ingredients

Dry Gin45 ml

Fresh Orange Juice45 ml

Absinthe15 ml

Grenadine Syrup15 ml

Ice Cubes

Glassware

Cocktail glass

Chilled.

Flavor

Anise · Cherry · Lemon · Orange · Vanilla

Estimated profile

A cigar alongside More like this

Method

1
Chill a cocktail glass with ice water and set aside.
2
Add the gin, fresh orange juice, absinthe, and grenadine into a cocktail shaker.
3
Fill the shaker with ice cubes.
4
Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until well chilled.
5
Discard the ice water from the cocktail glass.
6
Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled glass.
7
Serve immediately, ungarnished.

From the Bartender

The absinthe in this recipe is a rinse-level quantity - just 15ml - but it transforms the drink entirely, adding aromatic depth without overwhelming the citrus. Harry MacElhone named the cocktail after the controversial 1920s surgical procedure by Serge Voronoff, which claimed to restore vitality by transplanting monkey glands into humans.

Rating

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