Drink of the Day: Monkey Gland
This cocktail, if you are a gin imbiber, is a “must-try”. Not only does it have an interesting name, it has a back story all in its own.
There are a couple variations of this cocktail, mostly because of the ban on absinthe up until just recently. The recipe I show you in the video, I use an absinthe substitute, Pernod, in place of the absinthe. However, as you will see below in the written recipe, not only am I going to use absinthe, I am also going to give you the recipe for homemade grenadine which, in my opinion, really knocks this cocktail out of the park. Also, I have decided to only rinse the finish glass, which in this case is a chilled cocktail glass, with the absinthe instead of adding the half ounce to the recipe. This will give you more towards the aromatic characteristic of this anise-based liqueur instead of overriding the flavor you will get from other ingredients.
Okay, so I am going to give you the easy way of making this cocktail with the video, then I am giving you the more dynamic way of making this with the written recipe below. This will give you two options on how to make this cocktail that was first introduced at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, France, and introduced in Harry McElhone’s book, Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, which he published in 1922. Mr. McElhone states that he got the name for the drink from a surgeon who was using monkey testicle tissue and grafting it to human testicles for male enhancement. The name of the doctor was Serge Voronoff, and it was one in many obscure procedures this surgeon was doing at the time. So, maybe this was Harry’s way to help with the male enhancement, giving this cocktail it’s name? Only he could tell us this for sure. A special thanks goes out to Wikipedia and About.com for the history on this cocktail.
Instead of the facts of the day today that I usually put on my blog daily, I am going to give you the recipe for a great Grenadine recipe. I know that many craft bartenders out there shrill when they see me make cocktails using Rose’s Grenadine, which I can understand. However, I am here to show people how to make a fast and easy cocktail that will taste good for their guests, not how to prepare a cocktail that takes ten minutes to complete. But, today, I am going to give you both options, not only to appease my critics, but to also show you that there are better and more natural ways to doing things in the cocktail world. And I will admit, the wait is well worth it when you do this properly.
Enjoy your weekend and have a couple of these for me. Cheers!
Monkey Gland
2 oz. Gin
Juice from 1/2 Orange
Absinthe
1/4 oz. of Fresh Grenadine (See Recipe Below)
Method: Take a chilled cocktail glass and pour in about 1/2 oz. of absinthe into the glass. Swirl the absinthe in the glass making sure you have a good layer of absinthe completely on the inside of the glass. Dump out the absinthe and set the glass to the side. This will be the finish glass. In a mixing glass with ice, pour in the gin and grenadine. Squeeze in the juice from half an orange, throwing away the orange remnants after doing so. Cap the mixing glass with a tin and shake well. Strain into the absinthe-layered, chilled, cocktail glass. Take a rind of an orange and twist it over the cocktail, allowing the oils from the rind to disperse over the drink. Gently rub the twist on the rim of the glass before dropping it into the drink.
Home-made Grenadine
one cup of sugar
one cup of pure 100% pomegranate juice
1 tsp. orange blossom water
2 tsp. brandy (this will keep the pomegranate from going bad)
Method: In a saucepan add the ingredients, except the brandy, and simmer on a stove, making sure not to boil. Stir together until all the sugar is dissolved and you have a good mixture. Funnel into a serving bottle, allowing to cool to room temp before adding the brandy. Cap and shake together. Place in refrigerator for storage.
This Day in History:
1792 - George Washington signed the Post Office Act, establishing a permanent post office department.
1962 - John Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth.
1998 - Tara Lipinski won the Gold Medal in the Olympics for ice skating.
2003 - A fire in a nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island, killed over 100 people and injured over 150.
Notable Birthday:
Photographer, Ansel Adams was born on this date in 1902.
Notable Quote:
“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.” - Ansel Adams
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Category: Drink of the Day
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