Paris, France · 1922

Monkey Gland

Also known as Monkey's Gland, Monkeygland

A bright, sharp gin cocktail that mixes orange juice with absinthe and grenadine for a weirdly compelling bitter-sweet kick.

aniseherbalorangebitter-sweetaperitifginabsinthepomegranateclassicprovocative

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with fresh orange juice and sweet pomegranate, but the absinthe immediately pulls it into herbal, bitter territory. The middle is a tug-of-war between the fruity sweetness and the anise bite. It finishes dry and slightly medicinal, with the gin's botanicals and the absinthe lingering long after you swallow.

Who will like it

For people who like bitter-sweet, spirit-forward drinks with an herbal edge and a hit of citrus.

When to drink

Drink this as a bracing aperitif before a big meal when you want something that wakes up your palate.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go easy on the grenadine if you don't want it too sweet, or add an extra dash of absinthe if you want more of that anise punch.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $2–$4Glass: CoupeBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is a tug-of-war between sweet fruit and bitter herbs. The orange juice and grenadine try to pull it toward something easy and approachable, but the absinthe drags it right back into dark, herbal territory. It has a dry, sharp texture with no creaminess to soften the blow. The gin sits underneath both sides, holding it together with a clean botanical backbone. It is the kind of drink that changes flavor as it sits in the glass and warms up.

Finish: The finish runs long and dry, with anise and bitter pomegranate tannins lingering on the back of your tongue after the fruit fades.

Primary tastes

bittersweetherbalfruity

Secondary

sourfloral

Aroma

aniseorange blossomjuniperpomegranate

Bitternessfirmly bitter
The absinthe and grenadine tannins give this a noticeable bitter edge that cuts through the juice.
Sweetnessmoderately sweet
The orange juice and grenadine bring enough sugar to balance the absinthe, but it never tastes like a fruity drink.
Sournessmild acidity
The fresh orange provides a soft tartness, but it lacks the sharp bite of lemon or lime juice.
Strengthmoderately strong
The gin and absinthe make their presence known, though the juice stretches it out a bit.
Refreshingfairly refreshing
Shaking with citrus and serving it cold gives it a bright, waking quality despite the heavy spirits.
Complexityquite complex
The clash between sweet fruit, bitter herbs, and dry gin botanicals makes every sip feel like a few different drinks at once.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended so the botanicals cut through the juice

Before you start

Squeeze your orange juice fresh right before you make the drink, and put your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you have the time.

Ingredients

GinBase SpiritLondon Dry recommended so the botanicals cut through the juice50ml
Orange JuiceJuiceFresh squeezed only; bottled juice makes this drink cloying30ml
AbsintheLiqueurA small pour goes a long way; pastis works if you can't find absinthe10ml
GrenadineSyrupUse real pomegranate grenadine, not the bright red corn syrup stuff10ml

Garnish: Orange peel, Maraschino cherry

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To shake and chill the juice and spirit mixture together
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the gin, orange juice, absinthe, and grenadine accurately
At home: A measuring shot glass or tablespoon set
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To catch the ice and any pulp when pouring the drink into the glass
At home: A fine mesh kitchen sieve
Citrus Juicer · Other
To squeeze fresh juice from the orange
At home: Squeeze by hand and pick out the seeds
Coupe Glass · Serving
To serve the drink up without ice, keeping it cold and concentrated
At home: A small wine glass or shallow champagne glass
Vegetable Peeler · optional · Garnish
To cut a wide strip of orange peel for the garnish
At home: A small sharp knife

Steps

1
Measure 50ml of gin and pour it into the empty shaker. Add 30ml of fresh orange juice, 10ml of absinthe, and 10ml of grenadine. The liquid should look like a cloudy, pale orange at this point.
!Using bottled orange juice makes the drink taste flat and overly sweet.
2
Fill the shaker to the top with ice cubes. Secure the lid tightly so it won't leak when you shake. Give the shaker a good tap on the counter to make sure the seal is set.
!Leaving the lid loose will send the drink flying across the room when you shake.
3
Shake the shaker hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. You want to feel the outside of the metal shaker get frosty and painfully cold to your bare hands. That cold tells you the drink is fully chilled and properly diluted.
~12s
!Shaking too gently leaves the drink warm and doesn't wake up the orange juice.
4
Pop the lid off the shaker and fit the Hawthorne strainer over the top. Pour the drink through the strainer into your chilled coupe glass. Stop pouring when you see the ice chips hit the strainer so they don't slip into the glass.
!Letting small ice shards slip into the glass waters down the drink quickly.
5
Take your orange peel and hold it over the drink, skin-side down. Squeeze the peel firmly so a fine mist of orange oils sprays across the surface of the drink. Drop the peel in, or rest it on the rim, and add a cherry if you're using one.
!Squeezing the peel skin-side up sprays the oils away from the drink and into the air.

Serve

Serve it right away in the chilled coupe without ice. The drink goes flat and loses its bright edge as it warms up, so drink it while it's cold.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Absinthe

AbsinthePastis
Match
Common availability
Absinthe → Pastis: Adds a sweeter, more licorice-heavy flavor that softens the bitter edge of the original.
AbsintheAnisette
Match
Specialty availability
Absinthe → Anisette: Much sweeter and less herbal than absinthe, pushing the drink toward a candy-like flavor.

Swap options for Grenadine

GrenadineRaspberry Syrup
Match
Common availability
Grenadine → Raspberry Syrup: Swaps the tart pomegranate note for a brighter, sweeter berry flavor that changes the drink's color to pink.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Ward Eight

The Ward Eight uses bourbon instead of gin and adds lemon juice for a sharper sour bite.

Match

The Ward Eight drinks like a richer, more sour whiskey sour variation, while the Monkey Gland stays lean and gets its character from the absinthe's bitter anise.

In common: shaken citrus cocktail, uses grenadine for sweetness and color, served up in a coupe

Ingredients

Both share

Orange Juice, Grenadine

Only in Monkey Gland

Gin, Absinthe

Only in Ward Eight

Bourbon Whiskey, Lemon Juice

Swapping gin for bourbon takes away the herbal botanicals, and adding lemon juice makes the Ward Eight significantly more tart than the Monkey Gland.

Flavor

Shared flavors

sweet fruit and grenadine backbone, orange juice forward profile, shaken and served cold

How Ward Eight differs

Ward Eight is more sour, Monkey Gland is more herbal and bitter, Bourbon adds caramel weight instead of juniper dryness

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Corpse Reviver No. 2

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 uses equal parts with lemon juice and Cointreau instead of orange juice and grenadine.

Match

Both drinks showcase the strange magic of gin and absinthe together, but the Corpse Reviver leans crisp and dry while the Monkey Gland leans thick and fruity.

In common: gin and absinthe combination, citrus driven, bracing aperitif style

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Absinthe

Only in Monkey Gland

Orange Juice, Grenadine

Only in Corpse Reviver No. 2

Lemon Juice, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc

The Corpse Reviver replaces the sweet orange and grenadine with dry orange liqueur, lemon juice, and Lillet, making it sharper and more spirit-heavy.

Flavor

Shared flavors

strong anise aroma, gin botanical backbone, citrus brightness

How Corpse Reviver No. 2 differs

Corpse Reviver is drier and more tart, Monkey Gland is fruitier and sweeter, Corpse Reviver has a lighter, more delicate body

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

Harry MacElhone created the Monkey Gland at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s. He named it after a controversial surgical procedure by Dr. Serge Voronoff, who transplanted monkey testicle tissue into humans in an attempt to rejuvenate them. The name was a provocative joke playing on the wild medical fad of the era.

Creator: Harry MacElhone
Era: 1920s
IBA: The Unforgettables
Data version: IBA Unforgettables spec
Confidence

The IBA recipe uses slightly different proportions than some historical texts, but the core ingredients are universally agreed upon.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Use real pomegranate grenadine to avoid a cloying, artificial fruit taste.
Fresh orange juice is non-negotiable; the drink falls apart with bottled juice.
Rinse the coupe with absinthe first if you want a lighter touch of anise.
A dash of orange bitters can tie the flavors together if your orange isn't very flavorful.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't use cheap artificial grenadine or the drink will taste like cough syrup.
Don't skip the absinthe or you just have a flat gin and orange juice.
Don't over-shake or the orange juice gets watery and loses its texture.