Monkey 47 Dry Gin 500ml

Fabulously complex gin made with 47 botanicals

With 47 botanicals it's little wonder this dry gin from Germany's Black Forest greets you with a multitude of spice, earth and citrus notes on the nose which is more than carried through on the generous palate.

Monkey 47 is inspired by the story of Montgomery Collins, a Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force who was posted to Berlin at the end of the Second World War. Determined to support the reconstruction of Germany, he devoted himself to rebuilding Berlin Zoo and sponsored an egret monkey there called Max. After leaving the RAF in 1951, Collins moved to the Black Forest and opened a guesthouse which he named The Wild Monkey in honour of Max. Not willing to give up certain British traditions, like enjoying a good glass of gin, he set about producing his own Black Forest version.

At the turn of the century, a dusty bottle labelled ‘Max the Monkey – Schwarzwald Dry Gin’ was discovered during renovation work at the guesthouse, alongside a detailed description of the plant ingredients Collins used in his recipe. This prompted the creation of Monkey 47, named in honour of Max and the 47 handpicked botanicals that go into this unique spirit.

An ideal basis for both classic and more eccentric cocktails, enjoy the complex taste of Monkey 47 in a Monkey Tonic: pour 50ml gin into an ice-filled glass and top up with 200ml tonic water. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit and serve.