Monkey Gland
Monkey Gland is made with gin, orange juice, grenadine and a little absinthe in a citrus cocktail, served cold.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe and prepare the garnish before mixing.
Add all measured ingredients to a shaker.
Add ice, seal the shaker and shake until the tin feels thoroughly cold.
Fine strain into the prepared coupe.
Squeeze a fresh orange peel over the surface for its oils, then rest it against the glass.
A thoughtful finish
- Use real orange juice and measure both sweeteners; this version includes grenadine and rich syrup.
- The selected syrup is rich, two parts sugar to one part water; use that concentration for the listed measure.
- Chill the serving glass as well as the mixture so the first sip stays cold.
Common mistakes
- A free-poured absinthe splash can overwhelm the orange instead of adding a background accent.
- Using a thin 1:1 syrup at the same volume supplies less sugar and changes the sour balance.
- A warm serving glass quickly undoes the chilling achieved during mixing.
A few good questions.
What is in a Monkey Gland?
Monkey Gland is made with gin, orange juice, grenadine and a little absinthe in a citrus cocktail.
Can I scale a Monkey Gland for more servings?
Multiply every measured ingredient by the same serving count. Prepare the measured still ingredients ahead if useful, but chill, shake or stir each serving as directed; add any carbonated finish at service.
What kind of simple syrup should I use?
Use rich 2:1 sugar syrup for this selected build. A 1:1 syrup is less concentrated and should not be silently substituted at the same measure.
What glass should I use for a Monkey Gland?
Use the assigned coupe for this directory serving. Where that differs from the source’s presentation, the version note labels the serving adaptation.
Variations
- Another bottle of the base — Editorial bottle variation: use another producer of the same london dry gin style at the listed measure; record the bottle rather than assuming identical sweetness or strength.
- Alternate citrus peel — Editorial presentation variation: try a different fresh citrus peel for the surface aroma while keeping the liquid formula unchanged; identify it as a garnish change.
Where it comes from
Paris, France · Harry MacElhone · Harry’s New York Bar
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Monkey Gland is associated with Harry MacElhone and Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, but the creation date needs more care than a single neat year suggests. Difford’s Guide attributes the drink to MacElhone and describes it as a late-1920s creation, while the historical material on that same page discusses an earlier printed appearance. Those statements cannot both establish a precise late-decade invention date. The creator and Paris association can be credited without converting an inconsistent timeline into certainty. This entry consequently leaves the creation year blank and flags the dating problem. The selected recipe is the reference’s modern measured build with orange juice, grenadine and a restrained absinthe component. Its proportions should not be presented as proof of the earliest formula or as a verbatim reconstruction of a historical book.
Sources
- Difford’s Guide — Monkey Gland Cocktail Recipe (reference) link
Strength. About 1.58 US standard drinks at an estimated 24.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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