Search Results for The becher…

Thank you for your interest in Monkey 47. In this area, you will find picture files which have been released for publication. Please print copyright note "Monkey 47" and send specimen copies to: Black…

Admittedly, it appears somewhat eccentric to claim that a recipe of gin has the power to unite great British traditions, the spices of India, and the rich landscape of the Black Forest. And yet it is precisely this…

The Monkey Gland is not the typical drink name and it's origin is, well, interesting. First of all there are two possible authors of the Monkey Gland cocktail. The first is Frank Meier – legendary bartender at the R…

Introducing the Swabian Plum Cake, or "Zwetschgenkuchen" – a beloved treat that carries with it the warm and comforting nostalgia of late summer afternoons. This delectable cake is a hallmark of family g…

Vallières’ Secret, our signature drink, was inspired by the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, which happened just over a decade ago and during which nearly 3,000 tonnes of maple syrup were stolen from a large st…

The inspiration for this cocktail and its name comes from the 90s TV Series “Due South”, which aired under the name “Ein Mountie in Chicago” in Germany. The show follows a modern-day Dudley Do-Right, Constable Benton …

As the name says, this worldly-known cake comes from our beloved Black Forest. So, we couldn't help but show you how to prepare this rich cherry chocolate piece - with a Monkey 47 touch, of course. Ingredients For…

Ever wondered how to make the ultimate German sausage sandwich? Ja? Wir auch! That’s why we invited renowned British chef, sandwich expert and sausage guru Max Halley over to our home in the Black Forest. After e…

Ingredients 3 cl Monkey 47 Experimentum Series 2y08: Mexico City 2 cl clarified prickly pear puree 2,5 cl vermouth bianco Hoja skeleton & edible flowers Preparation Stir the Experimentum Series 2y08, the…

Enjoy with us a Monkey 47 Grog. Ingredients 4 cl Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 1 cl Islay Whisky 1 tsp. Honey 1 tsp. Apricot jam Fill up with Chamomile tea Preparation Heat up all ingredients, stirr it until the…

Since we’ve been doing this for more than a decade now, let’s dispense with the usual introduction … All right, all right – a quick run-through for the newcomers: botanical curiosity, obsessive pursuit of unparal…

With this signature serve we pay homage to age old traditions, this is our take on the ‘Waldmeister Bowle’ or ‘Maibowle’, a traditional spring refreshment in celebration of the spirits of the forest. Situated only a stone…

Monkey47 and A Bathing Ape (BAPE), two giants icons in the world of luxury craftsmanship within their own fields of Craft Gin and street wear fashion, have joined forces to create an exclusive capsule collection.…

To paraphrase the words of Roman satirical poet Juvenal, it's important to have a healthy mind, or spirit, in a healthy body: Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano. Following this mantra as best we can,…

For us, big, heavy furniture; lots of mahogany; leather-bound books; columns of polished marble; and the soft light of a flickering fireplace bring to mind the unique atmosphere of a dignified home library or a…

The art of distillation goes hand in hand with chasing aromas and rendering them in liquid form – although alcohol is merely the medium, not the actual goal of the process. Meanwhile, the world of spirits is d…

From the Black Forest to the world: Plenty of success stories have started this way! It’s as true of Monkey 47 – a global ambassador of taste in its own right – as it was of the Winterhalter brothers, who cast the high …

The art of distillation goes hand in hand with chasing aromas and rendering them in liquid form – although alcohol is merely the medium, not the actual goal of the process. Meanwhile, the world of spirits is d…

"A resurrected technical monument of national importance" is how the town of Vöhrenbach in the Breg valley refers to its Linach valley dam. In actual fact, it is even under heritage protection because it …

“Up there – you can see it better from here,” Karin Walther says as she points skyward. “There’s a bit of the trumpet and some of the wing that sticks out.” We’re standing in the middle of Freiburg’s historic centre on Münst…

They say that even the longest journey starts with a single step. In this case, it was just one word: Ulaanbaatar! The name had been echoing through my head like the guttural war cry of a fierce warrior on…

–

Once an international villain by trade, Mr Blofeld now lives a secluded life in the northern Black Forest, where he has been running a highly successful Ayurvedic cat salon for four years. We recently managed to…

Ingredients 25ml Monkey 47 Dry Gin 25ml Orange Curacao 25ml Lillet Blanc 25ml Lemon Juice 1 Dash of Absinthe Preparation Shake well with ice, strain into a coupette or cocktail glass. Garnish with a Grapefruit…

Scarcely any other spirit has changed so dynamically and continued to develop over the past three centuries. Originating in medieval monasteries, where archaically distilled alcohol was flavoured with juniper…

Ingredients 4.5 cl Distiller`s Cut 2020 1 cl Cocchi Americano 0.5 cl Crème de Cassis 3 dashes of Peychauds Bitters   Preparation Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a rocks g…

“ Dear Julia, we’re working with Lobmeyr on unveiling a new tumbler. Why don’t you get yourself to Vienna to have a look?” This was the basic gist of the job they gave me. I have to admit, my expertise in glasses up to t…

The Swabian community of Schömberg is home to one of the world’s most prominent beard and moustache clubs. This is a story about facial hair and its consequences. It’s eight o’clock on a Friday evening, and I’ve got an a…

–

Bohemian Ram. Little Bumblebee. No, not pet names that aging married couples have for each other. These are just a few of the unusually archaic sounding instruments that belong to the larger family of bagpipes.…

Around three years ago, the new Union Square Cafe began welcoming in guests not far from the spot where Danny Meyer opened his first restaurant in 1985. At the corner of 19th Street and Park Avenue, regulars and…

HABITAT Bornean Orangutans inhabit lowland rain forests, riparian, freshwater swamp, peat-swamp and dipterocarp forests, as well as secondary forests and degraded forests at elevations up to 500 metres above sea…

HABITAT Golden Lion Tamarins live in lowland forests along the Atlantic coast. BEHAVIOUR Golden Lion Tamarins are diurnal creatures that live in family groups of two to 15 individuals. Within the group, only the…

HABITAT Roloway Monkeys live in the canopy of rain forests and gallery forests along rivers. BEHAVIOUR Roloway Monkeys are diurnal primates that live almost exclusively in the canopy of trees. They form groups of…

Species Alpaca (Vicugna pacos). A cloven-hoofed member of the camel family. Known for its distinctly tranquil and amiable nature. Characteristics The main physical features of alpacas include lean, elongated legs;…

–

Responsibility Statement [deutsch] Sofern diese Seite eine Plattform zur Veröffentlichung von Inhalten bietet, besteht die Verpflichtung der Nutzer, keine Inhalte einzubringen, die Rechte anderer verletzen oder …

To have the fortune of staying at NoMad New York is to be spoiled for choice. Or you could just give yourself enough time to savour its various bars, fireplace, atrium, and library! Every last part of the hotel…

Spurred on by an oft-cited herbal curiosity, but even more so by a well-nigh obsessive pursuit of the highest-possible quality, Black Forest Distillers embark on botanical expeditions each year. In 2019, the…

The journey is an arduous one. Slowly, our car’s plaintive-sounding motor fights its way up the steep and narrow road. Buttercups, dandelions, and poppies bloom off to the side, and lime-green butterflies flutter a…

It’s time we talked – or raved, rather – about Cape Town and its surroundings, which is one of the new homes of Monkey 47. It doesn’t take long to figure out why this city is one of the world’s most popular destinati…

In collaboration with Studio Mark Braun and the venerable ceramics manufacturer Tecco, we’ve developed a one-of-a-kind Cooler for the perfect Monkey 47 bottle serve. Made of stoneware and finished with the grey s…

Cloves are the dried buds of the clove tree, which belongs to the Myrtaceae family. With a height of up to ten meters, this evergreen tree is native to the Molucca Islands (a group of islands in Indonesia also…

Allspice refers to the berries of the evergreen pimenta dioica tree, a type of plant of the myrtle family, and is native to a group of islands in the Caribbean called the Antilles. This explains why allspice is…

Near the centre of Vienna, the Josef Cocktail Bar serves up innovative, contemporary creations and fine spirits in a Baroque atmosphere synonymous with the Austrian capital. It's not all powdered wigs and…

"Go where the pepper grows!" This German expression (which is a roundabout way of saying "get lost") dates back to the days when the sea route to India was discovered, which added countless new…

If something tastes good, it should look good, too. Pretty much anyone can come up with something bland, after all, and so our tornado of perfectionism continued to cut a wayward swath through Monkey HQ. Having…

Dusky woodlands, lush green meadows, deep-blue sky, and a traditional farmstead: Monkey 47 is made with plenty of loving care right here in the Black Forest before be-ing shipped out to the entire world. There was…

A good third of our ingredients come from the Black Forest itself and are definitely NOT what you would find in a typical gin! Along with bramble leaves and spruce shoots, Montgomery Collins also chose to include…

Who wouldn't like a machine that grants wishes? Herr Taschenbier certainly did for the Sams in Paul Maar's series of children's books, and we can hardly blame him. Recently, we were lucky enough to fulfil this…

–

In collaboration with Studio Mark Braun and the venerable Glas Manufaktur J. & L. Lobmeyr, we've come up with a one-of-a-kind Tumbler that’s perfect for a sip of Monkey 47. Made of whisper-thin, hand-blown c…

Along with our oft-cited botanical curiosity, it’s our practically obsessive quest for the highest quality that leads us out on annual botanical expeditions to our suppliers. Like Winnetou rinding across the p…

“The third time, it becomes a tradition” is a saying in the Black Forest. In other words, if something new has twice proved successful, it becomes an integral part of the local culture. This enables inhabitants of the…

The Gibson Diaries Part #1 – The National Mixographic Society By now, you should have heard about the National Mixographic Society, right? Founded for the “increase and diffusion” of sophisticated drinking culture, the Na…

Jean van Rossum aka ‘Mad Mister Barberstation’ comes from a family with a long tradition of hairdressing. Before he took over his dad’s hair salon fourteen years ago, he had been a professional musician and drumm…

Upon making his move to the Black Forest – to the Schaberhof and the Wild Monkey distillery, to be precise – the Monkey began turning his surroundings into a picturesque new home. Primates are not all that dif…

In February 2015, we set out for Sicily – more specifically for the foot of Mount Etna, Europe’s most powerful volcano. Guided by our local expert, Calogero, we visited an old plantation in the Cavagrande region, who…

Along with our oft-cited botanical curiosity, it’s our practically obsessive quest for the highest quality that leads us out on annual botanical expeditions to our suppliers. In late July 2015, we embarked on a j…

Second Sunday in the Advent season at the Wild Monkey Inn. Enjoy a Black Forest Punsch with us. Ingredients 4 cl Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 4 cl cloudy Apple Juice 2 cl Cinnamon Syrup 8 cl Rosehip Tea 4 cl Pear…

Third Sunday in the Advent season at the Wild Monkey Inn. Enjoy a Satanico Pandemonium with us. Ingredients 5 cl Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 7,5 cl Cider 5 cl hot water 1 tsp spiced butter 1 cl sweet sherry…

Fourth Sunday in the Advent season at the Wild Monkey Inn - it's finally Christmas Eve! Enjoy a Wild Monkey Teapo(r)t with us. Ingredients 4 cl Monkey Gin 4 cl white port 1 piece of fresh lemongrass 1 piece of…

We find ourselves in the year 2015 AD. All of Gaul is occupied by the Romans... All of it? No! A bar and club village inhabited by defiant Gauls continues to resist the invader’s advances. And life isn’t easy for the…

Is there such a thing as love at first sight? We are convinced that the answer is a resounding yes! For example, when a certain little Monkey met a “Black Kameel” for the first time and realized that he wanted to sta…

Good, because in future, Austria’s capital city should also make you think of Die Halbestadt: a jewel in the crown of Vienna’s bar culture, situated at the heart of the historical Gürtelbögen district constructed by Ot…

For nearly nine years now, manager Timo Janse and his team at Door 74 – the Netherlands’ first speakeasy-style cocktail bar – have been conjuring up wondrous creations at the highest level of their chosen art. Heark…

If you are planning a sojourn in Singapore any time soon, we strongly recommend that you visit our good friend Dario Knox, a member of the National Mixographic Society. Just ring the doorbell on the solid, dark…

Strangers in the night have been the subject of songs at least since Frank Sinatra’s famous tribute in 1966. Whether or not the Stranger bar in Gothenburg (Sweden) has played a significant role in this lore is lost t…

The kitchen is "the best place in the world" according to 44-year-old Rainer Klutsch, who discovered his passion for cooking as a child. "I picked up a lot just watching my mum or nan all the time…

Welcome to the wunderbar Arthur Orlans in Brussels! This is actually less an insider tip than it is a heartfelt plea: Get yourself to Belgium and pay this extraordinary locale a visit! We promise you'll be…

If you really think about it, Monkey and bison have quite a lot in common. You give both of them care and affection and plenty of time to mature, they don't like to stand in a corner, unappreciated, and they're…

I. These days, you often hear about people looking to slow things down, but this is a place where you actually can. Pay us a visit and you’ll see! II. One of the latest trends claims that hugging trees is great for t…

Gourmets are familiar with the name Baiersbronn. Two large establishments - the Traube in Tonbach and the Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn-Mitteltal - have three Michelin stars each. In the district of Schwarzenberg,…

Deep in the Black Forest, Cornelia Reich produces organic cheese ­using milk from grass-fed cows. While the local scenery could definitely be described as bucolic, her chosen craft is hard work that requires …

Who would have thought that it all starts in the forest? Well, we actually. Quercus suber, commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary…

Driven by an unquenchable curiosity for botanicals and a passionate desire to explore new sensory territory, combined with a soft spot for exquisite distillates, our Master Distiller, Christoph Keller, has been…

Mens sana in corpore sano. After several years of sensory research and experimenting with a variety of glasses in search of a healthy mind in a healthy body (the perfect gin and tonic as it were), we have adopted a…

his year, our Master Distiller, Christoph Keller, once again embarked on a special distillatory mission. You know how it is – botanical curiosity, a desire to explore new sensory territory, a knack for discovering p…

Attention all bartenders, connoisseurs and Monkey tamers – the motto in the Black Forest is “zest like the best.” In collaboration with Moritz Wenz Studio and the venerable knife manufacturer, Otter Messer – the former …

Every year, our often-showcased botanical curiosity reaches its distillatory crescendo during our quest to find the “Species Rara”, that one extra-special ingredient for our Monkey 47 Distiller´s Cut. You can prob…

Along with our oft-cited botanical curiosity, it's our practically obsessive quest for the highest quality that leads us out on annual botanical expeditions to our suppliers. Orandum est ut sit mens sana in…

The distillation process we use is a complex one. Along with conventional maceration and distillation techniques, we employ the principle of percolation, which involves channelling alcoholic vapours through more…

Today, we’d like to introduce you to the (ok, not-so-secret) main ingredient of our Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Sloe Gin. Blackthorn – or sloe, as Prunus spinosa is also known – is a plant steeped in myth and legend. It's …

For some time now, Monkey 47 has been produced in the Black Forest at a distillery dubbed “The Wild Monkey”, which is located at the Schaberhof. An idyllic location that, until its purchase by Black Forest Dis…

–

–

–

–

In our maceration process, we steep botanicals in a mixture of highly rectified ethyl alcohol and soft Black Forest spring water for "one day and two nights", or precisely 36 hours. Contrary to popular…

Percolation, Carter-Head stills, fragile fragrances - why does everything have to be so complicated? "You can't do it any simpler" is one possible answer, but it's not the right one. It actually has to do…

Our approach to distillation is a complex one: It involves both distilling the macerate and using steam extraction to channel the alcoholic vapours through fresh botanicals using a Carter-Head still. Steam…

Having learned from Rainer Klutsch that there’s no better place in the world than the kitchen, this was where we decided to meet once again for this issue. We were hoping the impassioned chef would grant us some e…

Ingredients 4 cl Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut 2018 1 cl Suze 10 cl Grapefruit Lemonade Wheat Beer Espuma Red Mustard Cress Preperation Add all of the ingredients except the Wheat Beer Espuma to the Becher filled with i…

4 cl Monkey 47 2 cl fresh lemon 2 cl sage-honey 1 dash Absinthe 1 Eggwhite Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice cubes. Shake and then strain into a nice coupette glass.…

On 2 July 1877, a man was born in the Black Forest – in Calw to be precise – who would bestow upon us his words, thoughts and great poetic works. His name was Hermann Hesse. A restless soul all his life and one of the…

Do you remember when we announced our guardianship of Willy right here on our homepage? For three years now, we've been the proud guardians of this young chimpanzee, who has been living at the Tchimpounga…

The extraordinary quality of the Black Forest's spring water is essential to what we do. With its low levels of salt and other minerals, this water is the perfect complement to all types of distillates - especially…

The kitchen is "the best place in the world" according to 44-year-old Rainer Klutsch, who discovered his passion for cooking as a child. "I picked up a lot just watching my mum or nan all the time…

We produce our gin's characteristic tangy notes through a complex combination of citrus fruits and herbal ingredients. Alongside bitter orange and lemon balm, we also use the seeds of the local Angelica…

Infusing a gin with a fresh floral note is one of the most refined arts in distillation. In addition to lavender, the traditional source of the flowery aromas in commercial gins, we use the blossoms of Black Forest…

Anybody who sits in front of his fire these days, savoring a fine drop of Monkey 47 and gazing into the warm glow has probably had his wood delivered to the front door or bought it at the local hardware store. But…

What do the Vatican, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and Oberried have in common? All three are the only places in Europe under the special protection of the Hague Convention in the event of armed conflicts – e…

The low mountain ranges of the middle and southern Black Forest are home to numerous heaths that are dotted with ancient juniper trees. Since time immemorial, juniper berries have therefore been used to give aroma…

If you can’t immediately read the time on the Schramberg town hall clock, this isn’t necessarily due to an overindulgence of Monkey 47. A quick glance at the astronomical clock tends to cause confusion. Instead of two …

As I’ve already mentioned, we use no fewer than 47 hand-picked herbal ingredients to make Monkey 47. Hang on a minute – are you detecting something of a pattern here? You don’t exactly need to be…

–

The Monkey had a handsome bottle to call home, the recipe was approved, and the debt I’d amassed to make it all happen promised to be my ticket to going bankrupt with style. Things were getting serious; it…

The brown pharmacy bottle with its monkey label not only provides a home for Monkey 47 but can also be used as an accurate timepiece. For gin and tonic with 4 deciliters of Monkey 47, the 0.5-liter bottle holds e…

In financial terms, our design department was starting to resemble a Bermuda Triangle smack in the middle of the Black Forest. The choice between having an aesthetically engraved ring and addressing our mounting…

The residents of a small, remote village on the plateau of the Hotzenwald forest had a clever idea for increasing the number of tourists that came to visit. In 1968, they brought the first 8,000 roses to…

This botanical expedition began in the spring of 2015 in the montados and ended near Porto, where Paulo and his brothers represent the third generation to run his family’s cork business. As you might have already g…

In the past few years, pilgrimages have become really popular again. Away from the long, established pilgrim routes and famous sites, a beech tree in Gütenbach Forest has developed into a place of reflection and …

Hailing from the Lamiaceae family, virtually all types of mint thrive in the humid climes of the northern hemisphere’s temperate regions. These aromatic, herbaceous perennials produce subterranean runners or r…

So, it was settled: The Monkey was to take on a complex character. I was floating on a cloud of sensory bliss. That feeling would prove short-lived, however. During all the distilling and sampling, I simply…

Hundreds of years ago, some areas of the Black Forest were full of holes like a Swiss cheese. Where families now go for pleasant walks or exhilarating bike rides, people toiled in mines for 800 years, bringing ores…

–

–

Inspired by the classic southern icon, the Mason jar, the Mason Shaker is a unique four-piece cocktail shaker that harkens to American eras past. Mason jar is a molded glass jar used in canning to preserve food.…

Everything you wanted to know about Gin but where afraid to ask! This being said we have opened the gates of our Distillery to some of europes best Bartenders, Mixologists and true long term companions. Welcome to…

–

–

–

–

–

Yes, that's the way it is – and real soccer, I mean, football, is only to be found in England. We have already described above the legally mandated standards with respect to gin. On top of that, there is no…

The golden Radhaube—pictured here in all its splendour—is the result of up to 400 hours of sheer artisanal craftsmanship. Though it does require a great deal of endurance from the women who weave it, this tra…

MONKEY 47 is now the proud guardian of Willy, a young chimpanzee. With the help of the Jane Goodall Institute, a dream has finally come true. Black Forest Distillers and its owner and founder Alexander Stein have…

Led by the Polizeiblaetzle on horseback – Blaetzle refers to the felt scales that adorn the policeman’s garment – the Blaetzle boys of Constance’s fools’ guild roam the city’s alleyways on Holy Thursday in keeping with a long…

On Rußigen or the day of soot, which falls on Holy Thursday (Schmotziger Dunschtig or “dirty” Thursday in the Alemannic dialect), all is quiet on the streets of Empfingen. The residents cower in their homes, only rare…

Since 1965, the Sachsenheim guild of Urzels has been responsible for preserving and promoting the fools’ custom known as the Running of the Urzels. The main figures in this practice originating from the T…

The word "gimlet" used in this sense is first attested in 1928. The most obvious derivation is from the tool for drilling small holes, whose name is also used figuratively to describe something as sharp…

The Juniper Sling recipe created for luxury perfumer Penhaligon's by Zachary de Git of Singapore´s one and only Tippling Club is a true piece of craftsmanship. Designed on the fragrance's actual flavor chart and …

This extravagant gin and tonic has been created for us by Dario Gentile from the Jing´an Shangri-La in Shanghai. Into a chilled, pure crystal glass, pour 50 ml of Monkey 47. Add cubes of clear ice together with …

A Collins is a cocktail with a classic sour base but that is fizzed up using soda water. There are numerous tales on the origins of the cocktail name, but the most popular account is about a mischievous character…

Twentieth Century is a cocktail created by a British bartender called C.A. Tuck, and named in honor of the celebrated Twentieth Century Limited train which ran between New York City and Chicago from 1902 until…

The father of this classic gin drink is Arthur Tarling, a bartender in London's Café Royal, who won first prize in a London cocktail competition in 1933 with his recipe. Light and refreshing, the Red Lion has quite …

The difference between a Tom Collins and a Gin Fizz can be summed up using the following simple rule: one is stirred, while the other is shaken. To put it even more simply: The Gin Fizz is a sour topped up with…

A instant classic, the Bramble was created in the mid 1980’s by Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club in Soho, London. Bradsell who to this day is still bartending is one of the most loved people in the industry and the man who…

The Clover Club Cocktail is a drink that pre-dates Prohibition, and is named for the Philadelphia men's club of the same name, which met in the Bellevue-Stratford hotel in the early days. It has a long history…

The French 75 was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris—later Harry's New York Bar—by barman Harry MacElhone. Located at 5, Rue Daunou, between the Avenue de l'Opéra and the Rue de la Paix in Paris, France, the …

The exact origin of the Gibson is unclear, with numerous popular tales and theories about its genesis. According to one popular theory Charles Dana Gibson is responsible for the creation of the Gibson, when he…

A refreshing gin-spiked tea punch, created by Jim Meehan of PDT in New York City, is playfully named after the classic After Eight chocolates, universally known as “thin mints”. Combine 2300 ml of chilled lavender min…

In French, bijou means “jewel” – an appropriate name for this gem of a cocktail. Developed by Harry Johnson, according to legend the ingredients reflect the resplendent colors of three jewels – gin as a diamond, vermout…

If you think that the Bronx Cocktail is only drunk by tough guys, to the sounds of hip-hop, then think again. The mild-mannered Black Forest monkey also enjoys its sweet and fruity taste. How and where this…

We don’t know for sure if this cocktail can raise the dead, but we can safely say that it will help revive your spirits. Lest you don’t have a copy of Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book (first published in 1930)…

As with many classic cocktails, the Aviation is enshrouded in numerous myths. The original recipe for the Aviation cocktail appeared in Hugo Ensslin’s 1961 ‘Recipes for Mixed Drinks’ collection. Originally from Germa…

Thought to be the ‘Father’ of the Martini, the Martinez’s origins belong in a cloudy haze of uncertainty. Nothing unusual for Cocktail classic oft he early days. It most likely started life sometime in the 1860’s and 70’…

The monkey from the Black Forest is not actually a fan of hocus-pocus; he prefers to keep things things clear and simple. Except, of course, when it comes to the legendary Hanky Panky, born around 100 years ago in…

If you've ever wondered what monkeys and tomatoes have in common, you'll find the answer in Singapore – from the inventor of the legendary Screaming Tomatoes cocktail and Bar Manager of L'Aiglon, Louis Tan Chuan M…

As most traditions do, the Hornkappe constantly evolved over the centuries before its most recent form came to be defined by its strikingly large black bow and long fringe around the year 1890. It takes quite a few…

Whoever hears the word “Black Forest” thinks instinctively of the renowned cuckoo clock and sees pass before their spiritual eyes the hustle and bustle of the “Fasnet period” (or generally speaking: Fasching, Carniva…

In November 1844, a pioneer was born in Mühlburg, in the lovely Black Forest, whose patent now dominates our streetscape: Carl Friedrich Benz. As a graduate mechanical engineer, he’s one of the most important in…

Born in Bernau (Black Forest) in 1839, painting offered Hans Thoma a way to escape his origins. After the death of his father, a trained miller who later worked as a lumberjack in the Black Forest, Thoma had to…

Let us pause for a moment and consider what the rest of the world knows of our beautiful Black Forest. First of all, there’s the cuckoo clock, a timepiece that signals the hour not with a living cuckoo but with its f…

Just another gin! Not at all, rather Bollenhut, turban and bowler. Bollenhut? Bollenhut! The traditional dress of our Black Forest, which apart from the black forest itself, is world-renowned for the red pompoms on…

The bridal crown, also known as a Schäppel in the Black Forest, enjoys a long tradition, and compared with a bridal wreath or veil, is the oldest decorative form of headdress worn by gushing brides-to-be. A symbol …

The elderflower, a member of the Adoxaceae family, is perhaps best known in the form of the black elderberry. While people in northern Germany call it the Fliederbeerenbusch (or just Flieder for short), parts of…

The orange, or the apple from China as the German term “Apfelsine” suggests, is a member of the citrus genus. A cross between the mandarin and the pomelo, this orange-colored fruit originated in China or Southeast Asi…

Licorice root, or “sweet wood” (Süßholz) as it is called in German, is known not only for its medicinal properties, but also for its sweetness. In fact the German term for sweet-talking (Süßholz raspeln) translates literal…

A member of the ginger family, root ginger is a monocotyledonous plant whose rootstock, or “rhizome”, is used as both a spice and a type of medicine. Indigenous to the tropics and subtropics, zingiber officinale is cul…

The name nutmeg is misleading because this plant actually produces a type of berry, the excessive consumption of which can trigger hallucinating effects. The origins of nutmeg can be traced back to Indonesia’s B…

Angelica archangelica, commonly known as Garden Angelica, Holy Ghost, Wild Celery, and Norwegian angelica, is a biennial plant from the Apiaceae family, a subspecies of which is cultivated for its sweetly scented…

Lavandula angustifolia (lavender or English lavender, though not native to England; also common lavender, true lavender, narrow-leaved lavender), formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family…

Cresta is only practised in St. Moritz. This exclusive sport involves hurtling down an ice-covered run at speeds of up to 140 km/h on a vehicle similar to a bob skeleton, with the rider's nose only a few…

Certainly Not! Admittedly, it appears somewhat eccentric to claim that a recipe for gin has the power to unite great British traditions, the exoticness of India, and the purity and nativeness of the Black Forest.…

Picture a photo of a Black Forest meadow. Now imagine you're really there: the soft grass under your feet, the faint twitter of birds overhead, and the trees gently swaying in the warm, fragrant summer breeze.…

Over a third of the 47 ingredients in Monkey 47 come from the Black Forest and are not among the typical gin spices, including wild hibiscus, sloe, elderberry, dog rose, hedge rose, acacia, chamomile, and…

It is important to have ideas. The courage to implement your visions and the diligence to get the very best out of yourself and your product whilst meeting the highest standards of quality. What sounds like Monkey…

Bohemian Ram. Little Bumblebee. No, not pet names that aging married couples have for each other. These are just a few of the unusually archaic-sounding instruments that belong to the larger family of bagpipes.…

Getting a lift in someone's car can have far-reaching consequences. The attractive Sabine from Munich was looking for a lift to her dairy college – and promptly found the man of her life. She had inherited her l…

When Montgomery “Monty” Collins, the developer of Monkey 47, came to Berlin in 1949, the “Da Bach na” race in Schramberg was a traditional event that had long since been in full flow. The tub race down the Schilta…

The dogs are wild with excitement. They bark frantically and strain nervously in their harnesses. Their ice blue eyes convey their unyielding determination to run... run... just run. Finally, the long-awaited call…

With everything that you find in the Ratsapotheke pharmacy in the small Black Forest town of Schiltach, you could start producing your own Monkey 47. For the pharmacy museum has, amongst other things, distillation…

Markus Dirr first tasted Monkey47 at Schöllmanns, an exclusive bar in Offenburg. Not too far away for him. He lives and works in Endingen am Kaiserstuhl and adopts a similar approach to the Black Forest dry gin: …

Propped upright, there she stands, the Old Lady of Schluttenbach. One ailment follows the other, and the residents of the highest and smallest district of Ettlingen are concerned. Everything could be so wonderful:…

In the far south lies the small town of Schopfheim next to the Black Forest, and the lake in the district of Eichen is a temperamental wonder of Mother Nature. For most of the time, it is a dry lake and only fills…

Montgomery Collins, the forefather of Monkey 47, was born in India in 1909. Four years previously, in the fall of 1905, an unknown couple got married in Germany. The pear tree in the garden must have looked quite…

Jules Verne and H.G. Wells as well as modern-day science fiction writers such as Bruce Sterling and William Gibson have dared to experiment, writing about the future of a past that never was. What would have…

When the makers of Monkey 47 had the idea of having a monkey sculpture made to honour outstanding individuals and deeds, it soon became clear that Axel Haberstroh was the right man for the job. The artist lives…

I can remember the moment quite distinctly: I was sitting at my desk on a rainy day in Detroit, in the fall of 2006, when an old friend from Germany called me up and told me a story that would change my life in a…

Furthermore, anyone who enjoys the unadulterated taste of juniper should take a trip to central Germany, or more precisely, to the city of Hagen, where the Steinhäger and Schinkenhäger schapps varieties…

Alcohol is an essential and important component in every gin, in addition to water and a number of plant-based ingredients and spices -- or so it should be. And so it is shocking to discover that many experts on…

It is true that with regard to our sensory preferences, we were in agreement, but the joy I felt after arriving at this harmonious state lasted only until Christoph showed me the paradigm that he had developed…

An essential element in our business partnership, the glue, so to speak, that holds two people as different as Christoph and myself together, consists in “being right!” And thus I recall with great…

It was news to me, and I could hardly believe it: neutral spirits are, quite simply, not neutral, and the joyful expression on my partner's face confirmed it. Alexander had indeed been right when he brought in a…

After a series of morning tasting orgies, Alexander showed up nearly every time at the distillery armed with a sensory “ranking list.” We subjected our distillates to further tests, and analyzed the…

I grew up as the youngest of five children, which accounts for the laid-back approach, and even a certain degree of indulgence, that my parents adopted in raising me. In this I was lucky, because after my father…

Alexander Stein had just returned with his family from the USA, bearing with him the idea for a gin from the Black Forest that would be based on a historical gin from the area. At the age of 35, Alexander had…

Nonetheless, we had not yet come to an agreement as to how, or even whether we would work together. But that question, too, would be quickly settled – once again, due to a coincidence. Christoph had brought…

Let's imagine we're back in the late 1950s in the Black Forest. We find ourselves in a valley in the Black Forest, just about right in the middle, in the region around the town of Freudenstadt, far away from the…

For some time afterward at the Stählemühle we referred to Alexander as “King Louis” – this was a reference to the king of the band of monkeys in “The Jungle Book,” by Rudyard…

The Monkey, mischievous as he is, devised a new scheme. He went to his next-door neighbour, saying, “Give me your savings, and I will return them to you in double in just fifteen days!” The neighbour, down on his luc…

According to early records, Carnival in Hirrlingen (a community in the Tübingen district of Baden-Württemberg) begins on Candlemas. This holiday, which falls 40 days after Christmas, on February 2, is considered a…

If our word wasn’t good enough for you, how about the word of the world’s most pre-eminent wine critic Robert Parker who recently stated on Twitter: “a friend brought me back a bottle of Monkey 47 GIN, made from 47 botan…

Yes it is a long way from home. But it was worth every single mile. Since april 2012 the Monkey has made appearances in central parts of Japan. In recent months, growth in the monkey population has meant more…

Descending from a genus of macaque, a primate type from the family of Old World monkeys, the nemestrina is a kind of southern pig-tailed macaque. These furry little creatures owe their name not least to their tail,…

The red-handed tamarin (Simia midas), also known as the golden-handed tamarin or Midas tamarin, is a New World monkey named for the contrasting reddish-orange hair on its feet and hands. It is native to wooded…

The Patas Monkey is a medium to large sized species of Old World Monkey that is found inhabiting the open grasslands of Central Africa. Also known as the Military Monkey, the Hussar Monkey and the Red Guenon, the…

The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is a species of macaque unique for its distribution outside Asia and for its vestigial tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and El-Kouf National Park in…

The number 47 is shrouded in numerous myths and tales that not only pose conundrums but sometimes also lead us off into quite mysterious worlds. Legend has it that the number 47 came to the forefather of Monkey 47,…

Just as gin is now superseding the rather soulless vodka, the good old record is also experiencing something of a revival. When the CD embarked on its global success story, the vinyl record disappeared from music…

One man, one hotel, two concepts. Arnd Henning Heißen is the creative magician who has transformed ‘The Curtain Club’ and ‘Fragrances’ at The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin into places of extravagant indulgence with worldwid…

Montgomery Collins, the forefather of Monkey47, spent his early years in India, which is what makes his gin so exotic. As the son of a diplomat, it is likely that he was in contact with a maharaja, although we…

Word should have got round by now that our Master Distiller, Christoph Keller, has been embarking on his fourth annual search for that “specie rara” – a special ingredient for our Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut, which is a li…

Fruit That Brings You to Your Knees First they’re green, then white, and finally red – and thus ripe. Lingonberries are some of the tastiest produce of the Black Forest, although there are only very few people who rea…

Unmistakably associated with the Black Forest and a bestseller the world over – the cuckoo clock. At its best, it is an ambassador for traditional Baden handicraft; at its worst, a cheap imitation “Made in China”. Marki…

Germans love their clubs. If three people realize that they have something in common, there is a good chance that they'll soon establish a new one. The country is full of music and sports clubs, but German…

Few artists of their times have so many stories told about them as Martin Kippenberger. Ben Becker dedicated a song to him, a cleaning woman unwittingly cleaned one of his works, thereby ruining it, and the matter…

"I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky." Michael Edwards, a bricklayer from Cheltenham, England, firmly believed in his outlandish dream of flying. The harsh reality of gravity very quickly…

When Germans talk about someone having “lots of coal”, they mean that the person is rich. This term originates from cold winters in the post-war period when only the rich could afford to sit around a warm stove. The…

Monkey 47 was not yet around in the late 1960s, which is a shame because it would have been totally at home in the “Affenbar” in the small Black Forest village of Adelshausen on the Swiss border. From 1968 to 197…

A true cult bar for sophisticated drinking devotees, Bar Basso was the first-ever Milanese joint to introduce the “aperitif” to everyday people. An historical cocktail bar founded by Mirko Stochetto, Bar Basso tra…

To drink is to pray. Drinking correctly, however, needs to be learned – and this is especially true for cocktails. It is no coincidence that this art has matured to perfection in the USA, from where cocktails c…