The Story
Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin. Black Forest Distillers, Loßburg, Black Forest, Germany — 47 botanicals including lingonberries, spruce shoots, and Black Forest cranberries, distilled in small batches and matured in traditional earthenware containers, producing one of the most complex gins in the world.
The story of Monkey 47 begins with Wing Commander Montgomery Collins, a British RAF officer who settled in Germany's Black Forest after World War II. Inspired by his travels to India and his deep affection for the local flora around his guesthouse “Zum Wilden Affen” (The Wild Monkey), Collins developed a gin recipe using botanicals from four different worlds: classic gin botanicals, exotic Indian spices, regional Black Forest ingredients, and local German botanicals. That recipe was meticulously documented, then largely forgotten, until it was discovered and commercialized by Black Forest Distillers, who now produce the gin to the original specification.
What sets Monkey 47 apart is radical botanical complexity. The 47 botanicals include a core of juniper, coriander, lavender, and angelica alongside exotic additions like cardamom, grains of paradise, cassia, cubeb peppers, lemon verbena, and spruce shoots. The Black Forest-specific ingredients — lingonberries, cranberries, and blackthorn — are what give it a distinctly regional character no other gin can replicate. The base spirit is molasses alcohol. After distillation, the gin is rested in traditional earthenware containers to marry the botanicals before bottling at 47% ABV — a figure that mirrors both the number of botanicals and the year Collins first developed the recipe.
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Incredibly complex and multifaceted — bright, fruity, and floral with rose, citrus, juniper, lemon verbena, lavender, chamomile, and mint upfront, giving way to deeper herbal notes of sage, honeysuckle, and oregano. Forest floor earthiness and a hint of spruce in the background.
- Palate: Cool and slightly dry with a cornstarchy silkiness. Mentholated juniper, lavender, and blackthorn open before peppery vegetal notes emerge harmoniously. Stone fruits, blueberry, and tart cranberry appear mid-palate alongside earthy, woodsy notes. Sweet orange and ginger build toward the finish.
- Finish: Long, smooth, and warm. Citrus zest, earthy herbs, and gentle warmth from the spices linger. Blackberry jam and a faint smoldering forest floor note carry through to the close.
Specs
- Distillery: Black Forest Distillers, Loßburg, Black Forest, Germany
- Style: Contemporary German Dry Gin
- Base Spirit: Molasses alcohol
- Water: Black Forest spring water
- Botanicals: 47 including juniper, lingonberry, cranberry, spruce shoots, blackthorn, lavender, lemon verbena, cardamom, coriander, cubeb peppers, grains of paradise, sage, angelica, cassia, ginger, jasmine, honeysuckle, rose hip, chamomile, and others
- Maturation: Traditional earthenware containers
- ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
- Size: 750ml
Browse our full selection of gin at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Monkey 47 taste like? Impossibly complex — bright, fruity, and floral on the nose with rose, citrus, lavender, and mint. The palate is cool and silky with mentholated juniper, peppery herbs, tart cranberry, and stone fruit. The finish is long and warm with citrus zest and earthy spice.
- Why does Monkey 47 have 47 botanicals? 47 botanicals were used in Wing Commander Montgomery Collins' original recipe, and the number 47 also references the year 1947 when he first developed the gin in the Black Forest. The ABV is also 47% to honor both.
- What makes Monkey 47 unique? The combination of classic gin botanicals, Indian spices, and Black Forest-specific ingredients — lingonberries, cranberries, spruce shoots, and blackthorn — alongside earthenware maturation creates a complexity that no other gin can replicate. It is widely considered one of the world's most complex gins.
- Is Monkey 47 best neat or in cocktails? Best appreciated neat or on the rocks where its 47 botanicals can fully express themselves. In cocktails, use the lightest, least-flavored tonic available — its complexity can overwhelm most mixers. A very dry Martini or simple G&T with clean tonic lets it shine.
- Where is Monkey 47 made? At Black Forest Distillers in Loßburg, in Germany's Black Forest region, using soft spring water from their own Black Forest source.
Description
Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin. Black Forest Distillers, Loßburg, Black Forest, Germany — 47 botanicals including lingonberries, spruce shoots, and Black Forest cranberries, distilled in small batches and matured in traditional earthenware containers, producing one of the most complex gins in the world.
The story of Monkey 47 begins with Wing Commander Montgomery Collins, a British RAF officer who settled in Germany's Black Forest after World War II. Inspired by his travels to India and his deep affection for the local flora around his guesthouse “Zum Wilden Affen” (The Wild Monkey), Collins developed a gin recipe using botanicals from four different worlds: classic gin botanicals, exotic Indian spices, regional Black Forest ingredients, and local German botanicals. That recipe was meticulously documented, then largely forgotten, until it was discovered and commercialized by Black Forest Distillers, who now produce the gin to the original specification.
What sets Monkey 47 apart is radical botanical complexity. The 47 botanicals include a core of juniper, coriander, lavender, and angelica alongside exotic additions like cardamom, grains of paradise, cassia, cubeb peppers, lemon verbena, and spruce shoots. The Black Forest-specific ingredients — lingonberries, cranberries, and blackthorn — are what give it a distinctly regional character no other gin can replicate. The base spirit is molasses alcohol. After distillation, the gin is rested in traditional earthenware containers to marry the botanicals before bottling at 47% ABV — a figure that mirrors both the number of botanicals and the year Collins first developed the recipe.
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Incredibly complex and multifaceted — bright, fruity, and floral with rose, citrus, juniper, lemon verbena, lavender, chamomile, and mint upfront, giving way to deeper herbal notes of sage, honeysuckle, and oregano. Forest floor earthiness and a hint of spruce in the background.
- Palate: Cool and slightly dry with a cornstarchy silkiness. Mentholated juniper, lavender, and blackthorn open before peppery vegetal notes emerge harmoniously. Stone fruits, blueberry, and tart cranberry appear mid-palate alongside earthy, woodsy notes. Sweet orange and ginger build toward the finish.
- Finish: Long, smooth, and warm. Citrus zest, earthy herbs, and gentle warmth from the spices linger. Blackberry jam and a faint smoldering forest floor note carry through to the close.
Specs
- Distillery: Black Forest Distillers, Loßburg, Black Forest, Germany
- Style: Contemporary German Dry Gin
- Base Spirit: Molasses alcohol
- Water: Black Forest spring water
- Botanicals: 47 including juniper, lingonberry, cranberry, spruce shoots, blackthorn, lavender, lemon verbena, cardamom, coriander, cubeb peppers, grains of paradise, sage, angelica, cassia, ginger, jasmine, honeysuckle, rose hip, chamomile, and others
- Maturation: Traditional earthenware containers
- ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
- Size: 750ml
Browse our full selection of gin at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Monkey 47 taste like? Impossibly complex — bright, fruity, and floral on the nose with rose, citrus, lavender, and mint. The palate is cool and silky with mentholated juniper, peppery herbs, tart cranberry, and stone fruit. The finish is long and warm with citrus zest and earthy spice.
- Why does Monkey 47 have 47 botanicals? 47 botanicals were used in Wing Commander Montgomery Collins' original recipe, and the number 47 also references the year 1947 when he first developed the gin in the Black Forest. The ABV is also 47% to honor both.
- What makes Monkey 47 unique? The combination of classic gin botanicals, Indian spices, and Black Forest-specific ingredients — lingonberries, cranberries, spruce shoots, and blackthorn — alongside earthenware maturation creates a complexity that no other gin can replicate. It is widely considered one of the world's most complex gins.
- Is Monkey 47 best neat or in cocktails? Best appreciated neat or on the rocks where its 47 botanicals can fully express themselves. In cocktails, use the lightest, least-flavored tonic available — its complexity can overwhelm most mixers. A very dry Martini or simple G&T with clean tonic lets it shine.
- Where is Monkey 47 made? At Black Forest Distillers in Loßburg, in Germany's Black Forest region, using soft spring water from their own Black Forest source.
