“Love
whisky but want to drink
something new and exciting?
What you need is a shot of...
Monkey Shoulder!”
RESPECTED
DISTILLER William Grant & Sons have come up with Monkey Shoulder — the
world's first triple malt
Scotch whisky. And it's set
to establish whisky as the style drink of today.
Balancing the authentic with the contemporary, Monkey Shoulder is leading the
way in changing the image of traditional whisky. It has already caught the attention
of the country's leading bartenders with the smooth and rich qualities of malty
sweetness that make it as ideal for mixing cocktails — such as Monkey Magic,
Monkey on Coke and Ginger Monkey — as it is for drinking straight, with
water or simply poured over ice. But whether you mix your drinks or take Monkey
Shoulder as it comes, you'll savour the great taste with its subtle hints of
vanilla, marmalade and barley sugar.
Using only malt Scotch whisky from three of Speyside's finest distilleries,
Monkey Shoulder is crafted in small batches of just 27 casks. It is named in
honour of the malt men who, while bending over to turn the malting barley with
a shiel (a heavy wooden shovel), would often end up with a temporary repetitive
strain injury nicknamed 'monkey shoulder'. Although William Grant & Sons' malt
men are among the few still turning the malting barley by hand, modern working
practices have ensured the condition no longer exists.
The iconic bottle design, with three brass monkeys on the bottle's shoulder
— representing the three constituent single malts — is sure to attract
'confident, liberal-minded people with discerning taste'. Shortly after its
launch, the appropriately-named new whisky rubbed 'monkey shoulders' with the
cast of King Kong and VIP guests as they celebrated the premiere of the film
in the Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street, London.
A selection of cocktails inspired by the film was available, including the King
Kong Kick, Monkey Manhattan and Skull Island Sour — a smooth fruit-infused
twist on the classic Whisky Sour and created by Dre Masso of the Worldwide Cocktail
Club. Monkey Shoulder's Brand Ambassador Xavier Padovani, came up with the King
Kong Kick, a drink not for the faint-hearted, with ginger, lime and a spicy
hint of fresh chillies. And Julien Gualdoni of Trailer Happiness (CLASS Magazine's
Bar of the Year 2005) has created the first-ever solid whisky cocktail, the
Solid Manhattan — frozen islands of Monkey Shoulder with a sweet cherry
twist.
The Thirties-themed Monkey Shoulder New York Whisky Bar buzzed with excitement
as cocktail genius Peter Dorelli — with 35 years at the Savoy bar under
his belt — mixed up Monkey Manhattans in his sophisticated trademark style.
With its smooth, rich, distinctively mellow taste, rounded and complex, Monkey
Shoulder — recently awarded an incredible 93 out of 100 by whisky aficionado
Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible 2006 — is earning its stripes in all the
right places.
Nidal Ramini, Head Bartender of London's Dusk, enthused: "The texture is incredibly
smooth and the taste profile edges towards a sweeter finish, almost bourbon
like, which I think will make it more appealing for non Scotch drinkers." Whisky
Magazine's Editor, Dominic Roskrow, describes Monkey Shoulder as "fun and modern"
and "as good an introduction to Scotch as you could want". Class Magazine's
Bartender of the Year 2005, Myles Davies, head barman at Green & Red in East
London, describes it as having "an amazing range of flavours that make it a
very mixable product". And of the battle for the "coolest spirit", Angus Winchester,
Theme Magazine's Global Trends, says: "Rum may have had the headlines in the
summer, but we see a winter of Scotch ahead with Monkey Shoulder elbowing its
way forward."
William Grant & Sons' Malt Master, David Stewart — the man behind the world's
best-selling single malt Scotch, Glenfiddich, and esoteric single malt, The
Balvenie — said that "taking three single malts and marrying them together
to create a whisky with an exceptional smooth finish, which still retains key
Speyside characteristics, has been a fascinating challenge." He added: "I hope
people enjoy drinking Monkey Shoulder as much as I've enjoyed making it."
MOTORBAR'S PANEL of taste testers were equally impressed with Monkey
Shoulder and tried it completely naked — the drink, that is!
Paul Robinson is an avid fan of malt whiskies and says one his main aims in
life is to try (at least once!) every malt whisky to come out of Scotland. He
said he was wary of the name as it suggested a suspect Chinese import, but once
he'd learned of its respected Grant & Sons heritage, he was keen to try it.
He says: "I have not been disappointed. It has a pleasant aroma reminiscent
of light treacle, but not too strong and overpowering. The taste is smooth,
with a mild delicate flavour that rests on your palate. A nice whisky to sip
either before or after a meal or simply on its own and it's a good substitute
for after-dinner brandy. Monkey Shoulder is as good as some single malts I have
tasted and it doesn't lose any of its charm if a splash of water is added. I
see myself drinking Monkey Shoulder watching the sun sink low into the summer
sky or snuggling up by a winter fire. Another winner for Grant & Sons."
Peter Brownlow has drunk malt whisky all over the world, but admitted that Monkey
Shoulder was a nice surprise. He describes it as having a "rich, well-rounded
flavour and an ideal introduction to anyone who may not be aware of the treat
that lies ahead from the jealously guarded world of malt whisky." It has,
he says, "a smoothness comparable to the movement of a prestigious Swiss watch,
without the sharpness or sting of some whisky." With a flourish of his glass,
Peter's words to the uninitiated are: "If you have not yet experienced Monkey
Shoulder, what anticipation, what excitement awaits!"
Maggie Woods, MotorBar's Features Editor, loves the retro bottle. "Yes," she
says, "it is important to establish brand imaging." She found Monkey Shoulder
"smooth and different, easy to drink with an unusual aftertaste. Quite exciting
really!" She adds: "This one is no shrinking violet — it demands to be
noticed. There's a slight tang of bitter oranges and a suggestion of caramel.
It's unforgettable and it comes as no surprise to hear it's winning over experts
and bartenders alike."
— Maggie Woods, MotorBar
•
Monkey
Shoulder is available in Apt 195 and The White House,
Oloroso and 30 other stylish bars across London and Scotland and also from
Selfridges, Peckham's, whisky specialists and online at drinkon,
royalmilewhiskies,
thewhiskyexchange and,
of course, monkeyshoulder.
Monkey
Shoulder Cocktail Recipes
SKULL
ISLAND SOUR
50ml Monkey Shoulder Triple-Malt Whisky
25ml lemon juice
5ml Briottet fig liqueur
10m Gomme syrup
Shake all ingredients together and strain into an
old-fashioned sour glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a fresh cherry.
KING KONG KICK
50ml Monkey Shoulder Triple-Malt Whisky
3 drops Angostura Bitters
3 Pieces Fresh Ginger
5 Peps from a red chilli Pepper
Top up with Ginger Beer
Muddle the red chilli pepper peps with the fresh
ginger and Ango in a Boston glass before adding Monkey Shoulder. Add ice and
shake well before straining into a highball glass and top up with Ginger Beer.
Garnish with half a red chilli pepper with a squeeze of lime.
MONKEY MANHATTAN
50ml Monkey Shoulder Triple-Malt Whisky
5ml Noilly Prat Dry
30ml Noilly Prat Red
Dash Angostura Bitters
Dash Maraschino cherry juice
Put ice into mixing glass, wash ice with Angostura
Bitter, add Monkey Shoulder, Vermouth and the Maraschino cherry juice. Stir
on ice and pour into a Martini or Champagne cocktail glass.
