MONKEY 47
Admittedly, it appears somewhat eccentric to claim that a recipe for gin has the power to unite great British traditions, the spices of India, and the rich landscape of the Black Forest. And yet it is precisely this eccentricity that defines the enigmatic character of Montgomery Collins, from whom our Schwarzwald Dry Gin originates.
MONKEY 47 is distilled with masterly craftsmanship from 47 predominantly unusual but regional botanicals such as lingonberries and blended with local spring water. Doing things by hand is a matter of honour, which is why MONKEY 47 contains only handpicked botanicals. The production process is complicated, comprising a combination of maceration – that is, steeping herbal ingredients in a mixture of highly rectified, molasses-based ethyl alcohol and spring water – as well as distillation, percolation, and oxidation. Through this process and three months of storage in earthenware vessels, the distillate develops the unparalleled suppleness and balance that make MONKEY 47 certainly wunderbar.
It’s about quality and nothing else – as boring as that may sound. It’s all about details, everything has to be perfect.
Alexander Stein
HISTORY
The history of MONKEY 47 goes as far back as July 1945, when Montgomery ‘Monty’ Collins, a Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force, was stationed in Berlin. During the reconstruction of the city’s zoo, the Commander met a monkey named Max, whom he began sponsoring.
After leaving Berlin, Monty made the Black Forest his home, opening a guesthouse named “The Wild Monkey” in honour of his animal friend. An interest in distillation led him to create his Black Forest Gin, crafted from 47 local botanicals, which became the inn’s signature drink.
In 2006, this story was discovered by Alexander Stein, who set out to recreate Commander Collins’ legendary recipe. Together with his team, he worked for 2.5 years, analysing more than 120 trial distillations, to perfect MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin.
Stein’s obsession with masterly craftsmanship remains at the heart of MONKEY 47 to this day, guiding the development of the brand’s exquisite gins, each with an extraordinary flavour profile.
Doing things by hand is a matter of honour, which is why MONKEY 47 contains only handpicked botanicals.
MONKEY 47 unveils a 95% recycled glass bottle for its sloe gin
In 2024, MONKEY 47 introduced a new bottle made of 95 per cent recycled glass for its Sloe Gin – its most sustainable glass bottle yet, giving the bottle a fresh-looking blue and green tint.
In addition, the bottle’s label is made using crushed citrus paper, 15 per cent citrus fruit leftovers and 40 per cent recycled fibres. The cork used is naturally harvested and CO2-absorbent, shrink wraps are made with a ‘plastic substitute’ (PLA) made from fermented plant starch. All in all, the total recycled content of the new Sloe Gin bottle stands at 95 per cent compared to 18 per cent for its previous bottle.
MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Sloe Gin, made from the leftovers of the distillate from its dry gin, was the natural choice for the new bottle – reinforcing the brand’s long-standing commitment to minimising waste and maximising the use of available resources. What’s more, it only uses FSC-certified paper for packaging, ensuring that the paper comes from responsibly managed forests that meet the highest environmental and social standards.
Timeline
2008
Alexander Stein and his team start experimenting to recreate the legendary recipe of Montgomery Collins to craft the unique MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin.
2010
Over two and half years later the recipe is perfected, and the first bottle of MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin is sold.
2011
Creation of the first MONKEY 47 Distiller’s Cut. 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 ingredient for the Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut – our Species rara.
2012
Presentation of the MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Sloe Gin at the Bar Convent Berlin.
2013
The Black Forest Distillers purchase an old farm in idyllic town of Loßburg and build the famous “Zum wilden Affen” Distillery, where every drop of MONKEY 47 gin is handcrafted and batch distilled to this day.
2016
Pernod Ricard acquires a majority share in Black Forest Distillers.
2017
MONKEY 47 is awarded No. 1 Top Trending Gin by the Drinks International Magazine for the first time.
2020
To mark the first 10 years in business, the Black Forest Distillers sell empty MONKEY 47 bottles for a good cause and give a donation to the World Wide Fund of Nature, which puts the money to good use in its primate protection projects around the world.
2024
MONKEY 47 is awarded No. 1 Top Trending Gin for the 8th year in a row by the Drinks International Magazine.
Have ideas about what you want to express and don’t submit to another opinion or follow a trend.
Alexander Stein
Discover the taste of MONKEY 47 Gin
Whether with tonic, as a Sling, Martini, or Gimlet, the unique and complex taste of MONKEY 47 is an ideal basis for both classic and more eccentric cocktails.