Monkey Gland

The Monkey Gland cocktail by Harry McElhone, c 1927

To prepare for this advanced level game of hide and seek, we need to invigorate ourselves with some adrenaline.  Perhaps with a “Monkey Gland” cocktail?  This prohibition era cocktail was created at the famous “Harry’s New York Bar” in the Ritz hotel in 1920’s Paris, and originally published in “Barflies and Cocktails” by Harry MacElhone in 1927.  At the time, “male enhancements” were the rage (can you imagine? How ridiculous …) and the particularly odd practice of implanting tissue from monkey testicles into people, for longevity, had been created by a surgeon named Serge Voronoff.  The Monkey Gland was surely named as a marketing ploy based on this, and was probably akin to more modern cocktails you can think of with silly and racy names.  It consists of the simple combination of gin and orange juice, with some sweet raspberry syrup or grenadine and a splash or rinse of absinthe or other anise flavored liqueur.  It’s a variation of other gin cocktails such as the classic Clover Club, the Pink Lady, or my own creation, the “Pandora”.  The key here is fresh squeezed juices and natural or homemade syrups, for a subtle and tasty gin cocktail treat.  You can “monkey around” with the proportions and ingredients depending on your tastes, if you like it sweeter, or want the gin to shine through more, as examples.  Here’s to changing the formula, playing with expectations, hidden surprises and a little hide-and-seek.  Cheers.

Looks like a good time for some monkeying around

The Monkey Gland by Harry MacElhone c. 1927

1 1/2 oz gin

1 1/2 oz orange juice

1 tsp grenadine

1 tsp simple syrup

1 tsp absinthe

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Orange peel garnish.