We seem to have developed a bit of a monkey theme this week. So in that spirit, here’s the bizarre story behind one of the world’s most famous gin cocktails – the Monkey Gland.
This classic cocktail was first mixed up at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. Let’s take a step back in time to the 1920s, when legendary bartender Harry MacElhone was starting to build a reputation for himself in the heart of Paris. He was well known for mixing up fabulous American style cocktails for his glamorous roster of international clients. In 1922, in a clever marketing move, he thought he’d collect his best recipes and publish them in a book of cocktails which he called “Harry’s ABC of mixing cocktails”. The book contained one particular drink with a strange name and a bizarre story.
Building the Monkey gland legend
The art of cocktail making isn’t simply about mixing the right ingredients, there is also the little matter of building a reputation. Harry knew that and concocted a wickedly strong cocktail by mixing classic London Dry gin with a little orange juice and a few dashes of Grenadine. To top it off, he added the final detail – 3 dashes of high strength Absinthe to guarantee an out of this world experience. He mixed it all up, shook it with ice and poured it into a Martini glass. It was delicious, but he knew he had to have a name for it if he was to create a classic cocktail. He called it the Monkey Gland – and he took inspiration from a bizarre source.
Monkey glands, Viagra and a Russian scientist
In those pre-Viagra days, a Russian scientist called Serge Voronoff was experimenting with ways of maintaining men’s “staying power” and he hit on a very strange technique. He grafted monkey glands onto men in a bid to boost their virility. While this was a bit extreme (and there is no evidence that this technique actually worked) Harry was inspired. He knew that sex sells, so in honour of Prof. Voronoff, he decided to name his new drink “The Monkey Gland” with all the promises and hope that a stimulating drink like this brings to men of a certain age.
It has been a bartender’s classic ever since. While we can’t vouch for the medical benefits of this drink, we can highly recommend it for its flavour and strength. For the prefect pour, we recommend making it with a good, classic London Dry such as Sipsmith [paid link].
Handle with care
Beware of the Absinthe – it’s not to everyone’s taste, but it packs a real alcoholic punch, so handle with care.
Bottoms up!
Here’s our classic recipe for a traditional Monkey Gland:
Ingredients:
- 3 dashes of absinthe
- 3 dashes of Grenadine
- ⅓ orange juice
- ⅔ London Dry gin
Method:
Shake well (over ice) and stir into cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange slice or a twist of burnt orange peel for a little extra flavour. Enjoy!

Written by Steve (with a little help from Ruddles, the gin dog!)
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