How The Monkey Came To The Black Forest...
According to the founding tale, Wing Commander Montgomery “Monty” Collins of the Royal Air Force – watch lover, cricket enthusiast, and globetrotter – was said to have been posted to the British sector of divided Berlin. As the story goes Collins, son of a British diplomat, was born in the British Indian province of Madras and, even at a young age, showed a knack for languages, learning no fewer than five – including German. Supposedly, after arriving in Berlin following the end of the war and taking up his post in the administration of the British sector, Collins was profoundly affected by the extent of the capital’s destruction. Motivated by his desire to help, he resolved to support the reconstruction of Germany in his free time. The tale tells that he became devoted to rebuilding the Berlin Zoo, through which he came to sponsor an egret monkey named Max.
The story continues that Collins eventually left the Royal Air Force and, driven by a desire to learn the art of watchmaking, moved to the northern Black Forest region. This passion was short-lived, however, as he showed little talent for it. Never one to lack interests, the legend says he decided to open a country guesthouse, which he named “Zum wilden Affen” in honor of Max, the monkey he had sponsored in Berlin.
As a British gentleman and new landlord, Collins was reportedly not about to give up certain long-standing traditions – chief among them a good glass of gin. This supposedly sparked his interest in producing the most English of drinks. Juniper, also a vital ingredient in the renowned Black Forest ham, was in abundant supply, along with pure water and a variety of special herbs and botanicals. According to the tale, these natural and regional ingredients provided Collins with the basis for developing his unique Black Forest Gin recipe.
The story of Collins trails off in the early 1960s – until, around the turn of the century, renovation work at the country guesthouse supposedly led to the discovery of a weighty old wooden box containing a bottle and a letter. The dusty bottle was labelled and decorated by hand. Below a sketch of a monkey, the words “Max the Monkey – Schwarzwald Dry Gin” were inscribed in black lettering. The accompanying letter reportedly contained personal notes and photographs, as well as a detailed description of the botanical ingredients Collins was said to have used in his recipe.
