When Monkey 47 first burst onto the gin scene in 2010, it's safe to say that it attracted more than a few curious eyes from gin aficionados everywhere. While many gin producers were already starting to experiment more with newer and unconventional botanicals beyond juniper from the beginning of the 2000s, none had yet to come as close to packing such an eye-watering number of fresh botanicals. Fourty-seven botanicals? What is this monkey business!

Designed to evoke the flavours of the German Black Forest and inspired by a pet monkey of a former British commander, Monkey 47 is a uniquely contemporary gin that has not only managed to impress many hardcore gin fanatics with its depth and complexity, but has even convert many non-gin drinkers as well. 

Here's the story of how this iconic German gin came to be! 

It Begins When A Nokia Executive Uncovers An Old Gin Recipe Inspired by a Pet Monkey... 

The fable behind Monkey 47 Gin begins with a British commander in the Royal Air Force named Montgomery “Monty” Collins, who was posted to Berlin, during which he developed a love for the German Black Forest. Later on, in an effort to help rebuild Berlin Zoo after World War II, Collins sponsoring a monkey called Max, and later opened a guesthouse in honor of his animal friend with the name ‘The Wild Monkey'. 

Years later, one Alexander Stein, an executive in the telecommunications industry, stumbled upon the an old gin recipe in that very guesthouse, presumably belonging to Collins, who had titled the recipe ‘Max the Monkey – Schwartzwald Dry Gin’ in honor of his favourite Monkey. 

Inspired by the story and struck with inspiration, Stein envisioned re-creating the gin recipe and bringing to life the flavours of the German Black Forest through the spirit. There was one problem though. Having worked for the better part of his career in the telecommunications industry, Stein found his own distillation skills lacking for such an endeavour.

Alexander Stein (left) sought Christoph Keller's (right) help to create Monkey 47 Gin. Keller was initially reluctant, and tried to scare Stein off by proposing the creation of a 100% artisanal distillate that would necessitate lengthy and costly development process. Thankfully, Stein wasn't fazed and the rest is history! 

Luckily, after a while of searching, Stein managed to get in contact with and pitched his idea for such a gin to Christoph Keller, who was known for distilling schnapps. Keller harbored some initial skepticism towards Stein, believing that Stein was a man who simply wanted fast results and would not be willing to spend any money to properly develop such a recipe. To scare Stein off, he proposed creating a 100% artisanal distillate, made with 100% genuine botanicals and no additives. Keller estimated that this would take almost two years to develop, at no small cost. "I was quite certain that this plan would serve as an effective deterrent," Keller later joked. 

But to Keller's surprise, Stein was not fazed. Instead, Stein threw himself into the process alongside Keller. The two men conducted over 150 test distillations  across months of work, with Stein joking that he was "going bankrupt in style". Eventually, they struck gold and created the Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin recipe as it stands today! 

Making Monkey 47: So Many Botanicals, They Had to Record Them On An Excel Sheet!

Monkey 47 Gin is prepared using an eye-watering number of hand-picked botanicals. 47 to be exact! These botanicals include the likes of angelica root, bramble leaves, and lingonberries, just to name a few, with ligonberries specifically chosen for imparting a fruity and a slightly bitter note to the spirit. The selection of these 47 botanicals spanned over 2 years of development and 120 test distillations - one can imagine the complexity involved in distilling multiple test runs with a dizzying combination of botanicals! 

Uniquely, these botanicals are infused into a neutral spirit made from a molasses base. According to Stein, ethyl alcohol made from molasses carries a special property that enables it to stably bond sweet flavors in particular, and thus, it was chosen for its ability to carry the complex flavours in some of the botanicals in their blend.

The combined use of both maceration and percolation to infuse the botanicals into the spirit gives the master distiller the ability to single out and highlight specific flavours and balance out subtle elements with more dominant components. (Image source: Monkey 47)

To make Monkey 47 gin, the team first macerates (or soaks) various botanicals in the neutral spirit at 30-40 degrees Celsius to extract the essence and flavors from these ingredients. More fresher and delicate botanicals are also placed into a gin basket, and during distillation, the rising vapors pass through the botanicals, absorbing their flavours, before being condensed back into the final spirit.  

Monkey 47 uniquely ages their gin distillates in earthenware vessels for 100 days after distillaton. (Image source: Schwarzwald Tourismus)

After distillation, the distilled spirit Monkey 47 Gin is left to undergo aging in earthenware vessels for 100 days, in order to develop greater depth of flavour. According to the brand, the use of earthenware vessels play an important role in this process by providing a porous structure rougher than glass or steel, facilitating a smoother exchange of oxygen to ensure that a quality blend can be developed over time.

Monkey Business: What the Distillery Has Been Up To!

Those looking to get a taste of Monkey 47 should begin their journey with the distillery two core expression: the Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin and the Monkey 47 Sloe Gin, with the latter made by infusing the original dry gin recipe with sloe berries.

| Read more: A Side-By-Side Review of Monkey 47 Dry Gin and Monkey 47 Sloe Gin

Fans and collectors should also keep an eye out for their annual ‘Distiller’s Cut’, which involves limited edition yearly expressions whereby a unique additional botanical is added - giving fans a sense of the flavour influence of different botanical blends. The latest in the Distillers' Cut series, as of 2024, featured the addition of capers for a subtle salinity, while the year prior in 2023 sported the influence of maple syrup. 

Ever one for experimentations, the distillery also launched their ‘Experimentum’ series of gins, which pays homage to various locations globally by capturing the essence, aromas and flavours of every region. This includes expressions like ‘Monkey 47 – 2y09: Rome’ which is a gin with hints of hazelnuts and cacao, reminiscent of a nougat spread, and 'Monkey 47 - 2y08: Mexico City', a Mexican-inspired gin featuring prickly pear cactus! 

Previously, the distillery even partnered with another aptly ape-themed brand, launching a Monkey 47 x Bathing Ape capsule collection with the famed streetwear company that featured limited edition bottles and garments that were quickly sold out at release. 

Given the distillery's reputation for flavour experimentation and near-obsession with testing and unearthing unique botanicals - each one more unprecedented than the first, one can surely expect more to come from this Wild Monkey Distillery! 

Monkey 47 Gin, 47% ABV – Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: Very bright and fruity. I get notes of rose, citrus and juniper at the fore. This is joined by a prickly heat of peppery spices, evolving into subtle fruity underpinnings of blackcurrant and black berry notes that add depth to the aromas.

Taste: The sweetness of blackberries, blackthorn, and stewed raspberry jam comes forth first, before being joined by more earthy, herbaceousness notes of licorice root and pine. Upon further sips, I also get some light spiciness of coriander and cinnamon. All these fruity, vegetal notes held together by an earthy juniper backbone. 

Finish: Delicious long and warming with a lingering berried sweetness. Oak shavings, juniper, lemon zest and pepper lingers in the backdrop. 

Our Thoughts 

What stands out for this gin is how big, punchy and powerful it is. It’s remarkably flavoursome with lots of different fruity, herbal, and spicy notes being held together in a harmonious balance, perhaps reflecting the eyewatering amount of 47 botanicals that have gone into this gin. Its truly a contemporary gin - juniper here isn’t a main star but more of a backstage production manager that brings all the various flavours onto stage.  

Because it’s so flavour-forward with such a bold presence on its, this is a gin that can be readily drunk neat, or with tonic or soda water. I would be less inclined to use it in more complex cocktail recipes, as I think this gin has enough character to speak for itself! 

Kanpai!

@henin