Servings: 1
Time: Under 3 minutes
Difficulty: Playful
🍹 Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. gin (a London Dry works well)
- 1.5 oz. fresh orange juice
- 1–2 dashes grenadine
- 1 dash absinthe (or a quick rinse in the glass)
🥂 Instructions
Pour the gin, orange juice, and grenadine into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake until well-chilled and lightly frothy.
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
For garnish, keep it classic and understated:
🍊 A twist of orange peel for brightness
🌿 A tiny herb sprig for a modern twist (optional)
🎭 A Cocktail with a Name to Remember
Despite its eccentric name, the Monkey Gland is a refined balance of gin’s botanicals, orange’s citrus pop, and a whisper of absinthe to add intrigue. Created in Paris during the roaring 1920s, it was named by legendary bartender Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar. The title cheekily references a controversial rejuvenation procedure of the era involving, you guessed it, monkey glands.
The cocktail, however, is no mere gimmick. Its flavor is lively and sophisticated, designed to delight adventurous palates while capturing the spirited energy of the Jazz Age. With its radiant orange hue and playful backstory, it’s a conversation starter as much as a drink.
💡 Tip for Perfect Balance
Use freshly squeezed orange juice. It transforms the cocktail from sweet to sophisticated, adding both depth and freshness that bottled juice can’t match. For the absinthe, less is always more. Just a hint is enough to achieve the drink’s signature character.
🌆 Perfect Setting
The Monkey Gland fits right into lively gatherings and late-night conversations. Imagine sipping it in an art deco bar with jazz on the gramophone, or sharing it at a dinner party where everyone loves a spirited story. It’s wry, sophisticated, and just a bit mischievous, like a wink across the room. Cheers!
🍸 Parisian Cocktail Culture of the 1920s
Paris in the 1920s was electric: a cultural crossroads where American expats, artists, and writers mingled with Europe’s avant-garde. At the center of this golden age stood legendary bars like Harry’s New York Bar, where returning U.S. bartenders, displaced by Prohibition, introduced American cocktail tradition to the City of Light.
These venues sparked creativity, inventing drinks with international flair and quirky names that captured the mood of the age. The Monkey Gland was one such creation, born from Harry MacElhone’s clever mixology and tongue-in-cheek humor. To sip it today is to step into the bohemian nightlife of postwar Paris: smoky jazz clubs, literary salons, and art deco glamour. It’s proof that cocktails were as much about theater and story as about taste.
Cocktail image by Adrian Scottow.
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