Garnish:
Garnish with a cherry speared with fresh pine needles
How to make:
1. Find your nearest forest and make a Pine Needle syrup (see notes!)
2. Combine all ingredients and shake with ice
3. Strain into a second (metal) shaker and dry shake to froth (if you're working with 1 shaker, strain into a glass and discard ice before returning for a dry shake)
4. Strain into a retro coupe glass, or shallow goblet and garnish
| 60 ml | Monkey 47 gin |
| 30 ml | Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix) |
| 15 ml | Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) |
| 15 ml | Cherry juice |
| 15 ml | Pasteurised egg white |
Notes:
To make a pine needle syrup, start with a simple syrup (1 part water to 2 parts sugar), heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar, then take off the heat and add 4 parts pine needle. Cover and leave to steep for at least 12 hours. Strain multiple times through a fine sieve (or muslin) until you achieve a clear syrup.
Sour cherry juice can be mixed from concentrate or bought pre-prepared. I prefer 1 part sour cherry concentrate to 2 parts water, but the concentrate gives you the option to mix to your taste.
Origin:
Taking inspiration from all things Black Forest, the Simian Sour combines the hefty, botanical hit of Monkey 47 gin with a freshly foraged pine needle sugar syrup, the bitterness of sour cherry and lemon, plus a (tenuous at best) nod to the iconic German Cuckoo via the uninvited laying of a little egg white into the mix to achieve that classic sour froth!
Think boozy Black Forest Gateau in the shade of a pine forest while listening to Can and Kraftwerk.
My wife and I went on a special foraging mission in the wilds of Northampton for this one, not quite the Black Forest, but the pine needles add a freshness and natural quality to the syrup, which pairs particularly well with Monkey 47 and adds a subtle forest floor element to the drink.
Nutrition:
One serving of Simian Sour with Pine & Cherry contains 254 calories.
