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MediaThank 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…
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…
So this bit is just for the absolute newbies. Everyone else is already well aware of our motto “same same, but different”, so we’ll just summarise it briefly here: botanical curiosity, obsessive pursuit of unpar…
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…
Ingredients 4 cl MONKEY 47 Experimentum Series 2y09 : Rome 3.5 cl MONKEY 47 Sloe Gin 5 cl Lillet Rose 1 barspoon Salted Caramel Syrup with Vanilla 5 drops Balsamico Vinegar Cacao Powdered Sugar Preparation Mix…
In the heart of Italy, you will find Perugia, a city famous for its breathtaking scenery, historic charm, and delicious chocolate. Let our Perugia Sour take you on a journey to this charming corner of Italy.…
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…
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 …
Same same, but different – actually, hold on a minute. After so many years, why don’t we spare you the detailed introduction and just briefly formulate the essentials: botanical curiosity, obsessive pursuit of unp…
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…
Information in accordance with section 5 TMG Black Forest Distillers GmbH Äusserer Vogelsberg 7 72290 Loßburg/24-Höfe Germany Represented by Gregory Chevillat Contact Telephone: +49 (0) 7446 91 76 60 Telephone (D…
Springerle are wunderbar traditional holiday cookies from southern Germany that are made using a special cookie mold. They have a delicate, crisp texture and are known for their unique and distinctive appearance.…
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…
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…
Collab drops April 30th in the following retail stores! Check local stores for drop times!
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.…
In the true style of la dolce vita, the classic Negroni cocktail is served as an apéritif and gets its name from the Italian bon vivant and Count Camillo Negroni. The origins of the drink trace back to around 1920 …
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…
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…
Driven not just by our oft-cited botanical curiosity, but rather by our practically obsessive pursuit of the utmost quality, those of us at Monkey 47 embark each and every year on a search for the right 48th…
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…
Black Forest Distillers GmbH’S LEGAL NOTICE (unten auch auf deutsch zu finden) Use of This Site a. Acceptance of Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. Any use by you of this website operated by Black Forest D…
“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…
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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…
Konnichiwa, fellow proponents of botanical curiosity! The 10th year of our obsessive hunt for exotic aromas took us to the Land of the Rising Sun – to our most trusted cooper, to be exact. After starting our effort t…
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…
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…
“ 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…
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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.…
Welcome to Peachy’s – No Photos, No Fighting. The message conveyed by the neon sign above the door seems reasonable enough, and we did our best to act accordingly during our last visit – except for the part about photo…
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…
Ingredients 4 cl Monkey 47 Barrel Cut 1 cl orange juice 1 cl lemon juice Ginger Ale 7 dashes of Angostura Bitters Lemon Zest Mint Sprig Preparation Add all ingredients to a collins glass over ice. Stir well.…
Thank you Gedulgt for the wunderbar cocktail Ingredients 4 cl Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 1 cl Velvet Falernum 1 cl Dry Curaçao 1cl Orgeat 1 cl Overproof Rum 2 cl Lime Juice Mint sprig Preparation Add the Monkey …
Germany’s highest waterfalls are another treasure claimed by the idyllic Black Forest – by the city of Triberg, to be precise, where the roaring waters of the river Gutach cascade down seven levels measuring 163 met…
Willhelm Hauff’s fairy tale Heart of Stone tells the story of a charcoal burner whose dissatisfaction with his lot in life leads him to take a number of ill-fated decisions. In the end, he winds up back in the same j…
All right, we admit it: the idea of selling empty bottles is more than a little out there. Of course, that hasn’t halted our plans to do exactly that for our 10-year anniversary. The circumstances that gave rise to t…
HABITAT Members of the Gorilla gorilla species can be divided into two subspecies: the Western Lowland Gorilla (G. gorilla gorilla) and the Cross River Gorilla (G. gorilla diehli). Western Lowland Gorillas live in…
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 Milton’s Titis live only in a small area of lowland rain forest between the Roosevelt and Aripuanã rivers. The species was discovered just recently in 2010 and described scientifically in 2015. At the time, a …
HABITAT Proboscis Monkeys live along coasts and riverbanks in gallery forests, mangrove forests, and lowland rain forests. Their human neighbours call these long-nosed monkeys kera bellanda – “Dutch monkeys” – because…
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;…
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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…
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…
Ingredients 4 cl Distiller's Cut 2019 7 Leaves of moroccan mint 2 cl Runny Honey 3 cl fresh Lemon juice 4 cl fresh brewed Apple Tea (1 egg white optional) fresh grated nutmeg sellery stick Preparation Slightly…
Ingredients 1,5 cl Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 1,5 cl Dry Vermouth 1,5 cl Sweet vermouth 1,5 cl Grand Manier 1,5 cl Orangensaft 1 Ds. Orange Bitters Orange Zest Preparation Shake all ingredients with ice…
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…
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…
After nearly 10 years of these texts, we could probably spare you the introduction, but the newbies will hopefully appreciate a brief review: botanical curiosity, the hunt for exotic aromas, numerous expeditions,…
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…
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…
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…
The legendary Pegu Club in Burma, in which Montgomery Collins – the forefather of Monkey 47 – undoubtedly spent many an enjoyable hour, is shrouded in numerous myths and tales. This was a traditional gentlemen’s club …
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…
If you had to guess our state capital based on its characteristic features, renowned motor car brands, a football team that could do with some support again this season, the home of countless tinkerers and…
Indescribably light and fluffy, Pfitzauf is a type of soufflé with a Swabian twist. It’s the queen of the region’s desserts! Ingredients Serves four 3 eggs 1 tbsp. icing sugar 80 g butter 125 g flour Pinch of salt 250 ml m…
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…
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…
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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…
Ingredients 5 cl Monkey 47 Dry Gin 2 cl Elderflower Cordial 1 cl Sugar Syrup 2 cl fresh lemon juice ¾ Cucumber 4 cl Cloudy apple juice Apple slice Preparation Muddle the cucumber, lemon, cordial and syrup in a …
“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…
Ingredients 5 cl Monkey 47 Barrel Cut 2 dashes orange bitters 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 sugar cube 2 cl water Orange Peel Preperation Place the sugar cube in a good-sized Old Fashioned glass and let the cube…
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…
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…
Ingredients 4 cl Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 2 cl fresh lemon juice 3 cl simple syrup 2 dashes Creole Bitters 3 mint leaves Champagne Preperation Pour all ingredients except the Champagne into a mixing glass with…
Everyone needs "Ferien" (holiday in German). 5 cl Monkey 47 2 cl Mancino Secco infused with mulled spices 1 cl lime juice 0,5 cl caramel syrup Top it up with Tonic and garnish it with a lime slice.…
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…
The legendary Monkey Bar originally opened its doors on the ground floor of the Hotel Elysée in Midtown after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Since its reopening in 2009, the spirit of long bygone days has …
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…
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,…
Au Contraire! More Bollenhut than Bowler and Turban, this masterfully handcrafted and unfiltered sloe gin is unique in its complexity while accentuating great British traditions and the nativeness of the Black…
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 …
Driven by occupational curiosity, a love of sensory experimentation, and a pronounced penchant for unique aromas, Black Forest Distillers have set out on their search for species rara – the singular ingredient that g…
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…
As is widely known, 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…
After several years of sensory research and experimentation with all kinds of wood in search of the Monkey’s perfect companion, we’ve adopted a very traditional approach in our hunt for the perfect barrel-aged Mon…
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…
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Born in Staufen, Axel Hoedt is a true Black Forest original. After studying photographic design in Bielefeld, he has been living and working in London since 1999. The forty-eight-year-old artist has always been…
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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.…
4 cl M47 Top it up with 7up and garnish it with a lime slice and lemon zest. Cheers!
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…
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…
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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…
Zoltan Nagy, a member of the National Mixographic Society, is known not merely for his outstanding negronis, but also for the cocktail artistry he continues to put on display as manager of Budapest's legendary…
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…
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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…
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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…
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 …
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…
Vesper is a cocktail enshrouded in myths that is made of gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. It was invented by the author Ian Fleming in 1953 in his first James Bond book, Casino Royale, for the most famous secret agent,…
Legend has it that this mystical cocktail originated in London's Ciro's Club at the end of the Roaring Twenties. The elegant version of the White Lady we know today was created by none other than Harry MacElhone,…
A classic 1:1:1 drink (with equal proportions of all ingredients), the Negroni ranks among the true evergreens of any bar. (By the way, you can find the recipe on our page entitled “Don Camillo and His Monkey”.) The…
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 …
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…
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…
At the age of just 23, Dr. Jane Goodall set off for Africa, where three years later, she lay the foundation for her impressive life’s work. Now aged 81, the prominent primatologist, environmentalist and UN M…
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…
Also known as garden sage, kitchen sage or common sage, this evergreen herb with medicinal properties is a subshrub of the genus Salvia and can reach a height of up to 80 centimeters. The strong, aromatic odor is…
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…
A sprawling, deciduous shrub with vines that can climb up to ten metres, jasmine belongs to the olive family Oleaceae. Its delicate, white, sweetly scented flowers bloom from June to September and are held on…
A member of the daisy family (Asteraceae in Latin), the camomile plant is indigenous to southern and eastern Europe, but is the native medicinal plant throughout all of Europe today. And this includes the Black…
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…
The name L’Aiglon dates back to the long-awaited heir to Napoléon’s throne, Napoléon Bonaparte, who also became known as “The Eaglet” (L’Aiglon). The L’Aiglon bar in central Singapore has little that resembles an eagle’s nest.…
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…
The Senator Saloon is a 1920’s style American whiskey bar and restaurant, located in a cozy neighbourhood in Shanghai. Actually it is a look back on the era of Prohibition when the sale and consumption of alcoholic b…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Connections play an important role in the Black Forest. Whether it's combining a clock movement with the call of a cuckoo, marrying ham with the smoky, spicy flavor of the forest, or refining excellent alcohol with…
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…
We really are not kidding when we explain over and over again that when we were, so to speak, “kissed by the Monkey” about six years ago, we didn't want to create a “brand,” but rather, just…
I never set out to be a schnapps distiller. That happened quite unexpectedly, and totally by chance. As a young man, I made art books, and up until about 10 years ago, I knew practically nothing about distilling…
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…
So, where were we? Ah yes, our tour de force of the senses. Anyway, I’d invited over the crème de la crème of Germany’s cocktail creators, mixologists, bartenders, and hospitality experts…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
"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…
Truly humble and always in a gentle mood, Björn set out to lift the cocktail scene in Sweden from the ground up by doing what he does best – making cocktails of unrivaled quality. Parallel to working as a bartender at…
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 doorbell bar? A venue only for hipsters and the jeunesse dorée? Well not really – the doorbell is of didactive purpose, giving the landlord the opportunity to explain the do´s and dont´s of drinking culture and a subs…
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…