The Distillery I will never forget: Monkey 47
47 Secrets from the Black Forest
When I finally made it down to southern Germany, into the heart of the Black Forest, I knew straight away this trip was going to be different. It wasn’t just another distillery visit on my calendar, it felt like stepping into a story. From the small hotel we stayed in, to the meals we shared, to the little towns and winding roads we explored, every piece of it felt connected… almost like the Black Forest had planned it for us. And at the center of it all was one of the most exciting gin stories I’ve ever come across: Monkey 47.
How It All Began
One of the first names of the brand was actually “The Wild Monkey.” The founder, Alexander Stein, came from a corporate world (he used to be a top manager at Nokia Cellphone). Imagine leaving that life behind to create a gin brand in the middle of the Black Forest!
Stein teamed up with Christoph Keller, a master distiller, and together they began working on what would become Monkey 47. They started in 2006, spent years experimenting, and finally launched the product in 2010.
The inspiration? A story, an old recipe, and even a random discovery: Stein once found an old gin bottle in a pharmacy store, and that sparked the idea.
Today, the Black Forest has 20,000+ gin producers, but Monkey 47 still stands apart thanks to its mix of story, quality, and character.
A Brand with Quirks
Even the details carry personality.
The cork is 100% natural from Porto, and on it is the phrase “Ex Platinius Numun” — “Out of Many.” Some bartenders even wear it as a ring.
The label says “Ex pluribus unum” — “One gin out of many ingredients.”
And the bottle? It has a Taj Mahal illustration. Stein once joked: “Play a game, and you can win a bottle of gin from me.”
It feels playful but smart — the kind of branding you don’t forget.
What’s Inside the Bottle
Now, the liquid itself. Monkey 47 is exactly what its name promises: 47 botanicals. Most gins use maybe 10–15, but here they wanted complexity, and it shows.
Botanicals are macerated for two days in spirit at 96% ABV, then diluted down to ~70%.
After distillation (around 86–88% ABV), the gin rests for 100 days before bottling.
The base spirit is made from molasses (sugar beet).
And their “secret weapon” is lingonberries, macerated to give that tart, fruity kick.
The result? A gin that smells of lavender, citrus, fruitiness. It’s aromatic enough to sip neat, but I found it shines even more when paired with fruit or mixers that make the flavors “pop.”
Variants I Discovered
Monkey 47 Sloe Gin – Made by infusing the finished gin with wild sloe berries (plums) for about 8 weeks. The result is sweet, rich, and perfect for a Negroni twist or simply over ice.
Monkey 47 Barrel Cut – Matured for 180 days in mulberry wood casks. Historically, Romans used amphorae, but they broke easily, so the Gauls invented barrels. Burning or charring made them stronger and added flavor. Each wood gives something different:
Mulberry → toasted, low tannins.
European oak → higher tannins, lighter toast.
American oak → lower tannins, charred finish.
This gin tastes almost like whisky, with notes of honey and jasmine. You can sip it slowly, like a fine malt.
Spice & Flavor Stories
At the distillery, I learned something that stayed with me: spice is not just taste, it’s aroma. Vinegar or soy sauce affect your tongue, but spice goes straight to your nose.
Spices came from hot climates like India, Mexico, and Adana as nature’s way of protecting food.
Spice is actually the plant’s defense mechanism, and we humans adapted to enjoy it.
Smell is our oldest sense — without it, you can’t even tell cinnamon from plain sugar. Try eating apple and potato with your nose blocked, and you’ll see.
There’s also a rich history:
Arabs traded spices to Europe until the 7th century.
The Silk Road brought them to Italy, Spain, England.
Turks called Canton port (Guangzhou) “CA.”
Famous spice traders like Sinbad carried these flavors around the world.
And here are some fun facts I noted:
Cacao is the world’s number one aroma.
Vanilla is the world’s most beloved flavor — though 17% of people can’t taste it at all.
Saffron is more expensive than silver by weight.
Safflower (aspir) is what gives Lipton iced tea its special twist.
Juniper at the Heart
By law, gin has to be juniper-forward. That’s what makes it gin. Monkey 47 is no exception — its juniper is bold and earthy, but layered with so much more.
Juniper can be woody, earthy, leathery, floral, fruity — all at once. That’s why it has been loved for centuries, first as medicine, later as a spirit.
Extra Connections I Loved
The Romans were the first to age wine in barrels.
Brandy literally means “burned wine.”
The Arabic word al-kuḥl means “distillation” (and is linked to kohl eyeliner).
Distillation knowledge even helped in the invention of gunpowder.
Heavy whisky taxes in Scotland and Ireland pushed people toward gin.
The Ottoman Empire put huge taxes on imported spices, which made Europeans start looking at their own local botanicals. That’s one reason gin took shape in the 1800s.
Flavor, Taste & Sensory Tricks
Taste alone is limited: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami — plus kokumi, that full, mouthwatering sensation.
Umami is that savory note you get from tomato paste, mushrooms, soy sauce.
Kokumi adds depth, like parmesan or aged soy.
Bitter is simply the “acı” feeling.
Monkey 47 brings it all together. When I tasted it, I thought of cinnamon cookies and tea (like Istanbul’s Mısır Çarşısı). I also picked up blackberries, raspberries, lavender, citrus, and a fruity freshness.
Fun Stories Shared with Me
The first sloe gin cocktail came from a woman who couldn’t drink during pregnancy, so she made a softer, sweeter version.
Monkey 47 itself was born from Stein & Keller mixing eau de vie with dry gin during late-night experiments.
Stein once joked in an interview: “We talk so much about Monkey 47’s story, but never about how many liters we actually produce.”
And finally, a reminder of the timeline:
2004–2010 → six years of flavor trials.
2010 → Monkey 47 launched and quickly became an icon.
My Takeaway
Monkey 47 is a gin that feels alive. It has a rich story, a playful brand, and a production style that’s as careful as it is creative. From the lingonberries to the mulberry wood barrels, from the spice history to the sensory tricks, this gin shows how much thought and passion can fit into one bottle.
And maybe that’s the real secret: Monkey 47 isn’t just made in the Black Forest — it carries the spirit of the Black Forest itself.
