When the Indian-born Englishman wing commander Montgomery "Monty" Collins of the Royal Air Force was stationed in Germany after World War 2, he helped rebuild the famous Berlin Zoo, where he became attached to Max, an egret monkey.At about the same time, he became intrigued by the botanicals and natural flora of the German Black Forest, which he used to create a complex gin that he called Max the Monkey Schwarzwald Dry Gin.In 2006, Alexander Stein, scion of Germany’s Jacobi brandy dynasty, was told this story and then presented with the recipe for Collins’s gin. Spurred by the tale — and the fact that a third of the 47 ingredients came from the Black Forest — Stein went on to reproduce the spirit, which he called Monkey 47. Today, it is regarded as one of the best gins in the world.From this month, South Africans will be able to sample Monkey 47 at selected bars around the country. And 47 bottles of limited-edition Monkey 47 will go on sale for just 47 hours on the Norman Goodfellow...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.