Both sloes and mulberries have been soaked in Chase GB Gin, followed by a short ageing in Rhone Valley red wine casks. Tasty notes of dark fruits, red wine and Christmas spices such as cinnamon and cardamom. Wing Commander Montgomery Collins, who was born in India and spent his early days with his diplomat father in the city of Madras, was posted to Germany at the conclusion of World War II to assist in the rebuilding of the defeated nation. Part of Monty’s duties was the Berlin zoo. In 1951, Monty left the RAF and settled in the Southern Part of Germany. He planned to work as a watchmaker, but when this attempt failed, he opened a guesthouse called Zum Wilden Affen- en: The Wild Monkey.

Monkey 47 is a Gin brand with a unique history. It's hard to tell if all parts of the story are true or if some bits and pieces are deliberately spread to embellish the legend. Lighter than most Sloe Gins, Da Mhile has a Christmas theme, which means the base gin used has aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Lovely festive liqueur!

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There’s also Hayman’s Spiced Sloe Gin, which is made using an additional mix of seasonal spices. Expect notes of ginger, plum, peppercorns, jammy strawberry and earthy juniper. Monkey Gin is produced from 47 different botanicals. What's most interesting about this is that many of them are known to the public. While most ingredient lists of spirit and liqueur are top secret, most of the ingredients in Monkey 47 are known.

However, what happened to him after the early 1960s is unknown. Only when his former inn underwent renovation by a third party, an old wooden box was found inside. Inside it: A bottle of Gin and a letter. The team at the helm today, Alexander Stein and Christoph Keller, have tinkered with the recipe Monty left, but it apparently remains largely the same. Monty’s original recipe had 47 ingredients, a number of them spices from his Madras childhood. To appreciate all the flavors in this Gin, you should drink it pure without distractions. It is no coincidence that Monkey is probably one of the most popular Gins to drink neat. Recently, Pernod Ricard (an international mega empire for drinks), which already owned a stake, took over the entire company. Hopefully, that will mean that Monkey 47 becomes a little more accessible. However, the drink that made this Gin famous was, of course, the Gin & Tonic. Subtle Indian Tonic Water is the best mixer to pair with this complex Gin. Fever-tree, for instance, is an excellent fit for this.

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It sounds pretty straightforward with only three ingredients, yet there is a wide range of flavours available. It all comes down to the length of the maceration, the amount of sugar, the strength, and the amount of fruit used, as well as the different botanicals used in the gin. And of course, the quality of the gin matters too! Take it sloe with these brands I do think that many of these craft gin distilleries are likely to have barrels of rum and/or whisky sleeping away in the corner somewhere, not to be disturbed for years. But gin allowed them to go from still to shelf in months. And that means dollars to the distillery. On the palate, the flavors change a bit. The spirit is smooth with rich mint, pine, herbal, and citrus notes balanced by hints of floral flavors. Once the full flavor develops, you can taste more peppery and vegetal notes. I will confess that the first time I heard mention of a gin called Monkey 47 I assumed it must fall very much in the novelty category. Then I got to try it and it has been my favorite gin ever since, albeit often hard to find in Australia. The experiments come from the Gin Lab and are limited to 500 bottles. The team has also done a lot of work on barrel maturation for gin, and the latest Barrel Cut sees mulberry casks. Apparently, centuries ago, mulberry trees were regularly used for maturation. Only new small barrels – 110 liters – lightly toasted, are used.

Made to an old family recipe where sloes are steeped in Hayman’s Gin for several months before sugar is added. Deliciously fruity with notes of plum and a hint of nuttiness. After the end of world war II, British Wing commander Montgomery 'Monty' Collins from the Royal Air Force was stationed in the British part of Berlin. In his free time, he supported the reconstruction of the city. He was especially dedicated to the rebuilding of the Berlin Zoo. Through this work, he came to a sponsorship of an egret monkey called Max. The letter contained personal notes, photographs, and information on the recipe for the Gin. Below, there was a monkey sketch and a message saying: Max the Monkey – Schwarzwald Dry Gin.Stein describes lingonberries as being the ideal botanical in gin, as it inherently has a combination of the flavours that have always defined the spirit, namely a refreshing acidity, lasting bitterness and slight sweetness. How is Monkey 47 Gin made? Do you like Sloe Gin? Which brand do you prefer? I would love to know how you like to serve yours, so please leave your tips in the comments below. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Many years later, while renovation work was being done on the guesthouse, the small box was found in the basement. The bottle was labeled “Max the Monkey – Schwarzwald Gin.” The extraordinary cavalcade of craft spirits soon followed and gin led the way, although, to be honest, I have always believed that many of these gin producers originally wanted to make top whisky or perhaps even rum, but discovered that the time needed for these to mature meant that they would not be releasing anything for years. It was an impossible task on a commercial basis.