A total of 47 handpicked ingredients, prepared in soft spring water, from the Black Forest source give Monkey 47 its unrivaled complexity and quality which is fully brought to bear through masterly distillation and maturing in traditional containers. The spices from East Asia lend Monkey 47 its fiery complex aftertaste. Conveying the crisp, floral note of a gin belonging to the great art of distilling. In addition to lavender, blossoms of Black Forest Acacias and wild honeysuckle. The characteristically tangy citrus notes of the gin are achieved through a complex combination of citrus fruits and herbal ingredients. A good third of the ingredients for this special gin come from the Black Forest and are definetely not what can be called typical gin flavorings.
In July 1945 Commander Montgomery 'Monty' Collins of the Royal Air Force was posted to the British sector of divided Berlin. Collins, the son of a British diplomat, was born in 1909 in the Bristish Indian province of Madras. Having arrived in Berlin after the end of the war and taken up... his post in the administration of the British sector, he was deeply affected by the extent of the destruction in the capial and was eager to help in the reconstruction of Germany in his free time. Hence he became devoted to the rebuilding of Berlin Zoo. He began sponsoring then an egret monkey under the name of Max. Montgomery Collins left the Royal Air Force in 1951 and opened a country guesthouse name 'The Wild Monkey' in honour of Max. As a British gentleman, he was not willing to give up a good glass of gin. This gave birth to his interest in its production. During renovation work at the country guesthouse at the turn of the century, an old wooden box containing a bottle and a letter was discovered. The letter contained not only personal notes but also a description of the plant ingredients Montgomery had used in his recipe. The recipe features herbs and berries found in the Black Forest together with numerous exotic spices whose use can be attributed to Collin's childhood in India. The dusty bottle had been labeled and decorated by hand with a sketch of a monkey under which it could be read 'Max the Monkey-Schwarzwald Dry Gin'.
Help other users and share your experience with this product (you must be logged).