Naturally, the folk at Monkey 47 are keen to encourage Discerning Drinkers to create and share delicious cocktail recipes using their gin. Our Cocktail Builder enables you to upload cocktail recipes to Difford's Guide and set them to 'public' to share with others – so a perfect platform for cocktail competitions.

Invitations to enter this and future Difford's Guide cocktail competitions are sent to members of our club who have registered (see 'login'/'account' top right) specifying their country (due to prizes tending to be country-specific). The first such Invitational was set by Monkey 47 Gin last month (May 2022) who offered some very special limited-edition bottles as prizes and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the winner.

This Monkey 47 Gin competition was judged by our friends at the gin's UK brand team so I invited UK-registered members to enter (if you didn't receive an invite then please update 'Your details,' including selecting your country of residence, in your 'Account' (top right) to ensure I email you with an invite to future competitions).

Our congratulations to Mike Heaps for creating the winning cocktail, Foragers' Negroni with Pine Needle Truffle. Mike has won a trip for two to the impressive Monkey 47 distillery in Germany's scenic Black Forest region. The folk at Monkey 47 will also be sending Mike their latest limited edition Experimentum Series (2y06) bottling which is one of the best gins I've ever sampled.

Bottles of this very special gin are also being sent to the two Runners up – Norbert Drozdowski for his Monkey's Highball which proves simple is beautiful, and Jonathan Travers-Smith for his Summer in the Schwarzwald.

The winning cocktails and other entries below.

The winner is

Foragers' Negroni with Pine Needle Truffle

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 the two runners-up are

Monkey's highball

Herbaceous and roasted/earthy aromas on the nose. With balanced complexity of the gin with coriander seeds and primary sage notes finished with a hint

Summer in the Schwarzwald

I wanted to work with a few of the notes that are present in Monkey 47 and accentuate or complement. As a sweetener, the rosemary syrup conjurs up woodiness

Browse other entries

Agave Flower

Shameful mucking around with the margarita on the rocks recipe!

AK47

Created in honor of bar legend and all round gen Mr Alex Kammling

Allotment glory

Home grown organic rhubarb is always tastiest

Aperoni

A take on a classic negroni using Aperol instead of Campari

Big Apple Sour

I use 25ml of homemade baking spice syrup but uploaded cinnamon as that's the closest. Any light bodied, fruity red can be used for this, but a pinot noir

Brassed off Monkey

stir and serve with ice

Capuchin

Chocolate, coffee and botanical notes bring this to a sweet, foamy conclusion.

Chorus Girl

I like to make Chorus Girl with the less common Cocchi Dopo Teatro, but I'm sure the standard Cocchi Torino would be fine.

Corallini

An elevation on the standard Bellini. Balanced gin giving a punch in the mid with the scents of both gin and Basil working together the add a freshness

Dirty Monk(ey) Martini

My spin on a Puritan with Monkey 47

Drunkey Kong

Botanical, citrus and medicinal notes sweetened by honey and cherry, with a smoky hit of whisky. Serve on an arcade cocktail cabinet.

Fait Accompli

New creation.

Floral 47

The hint of floral elderflower just lifts this nicely balanced cocktail accentuating the notes of this fantastic gin.

Forest Fizz with Pine Candied Lemon

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

Forlorn Voyager

Having bottle of Pisco laying around not being sure what to do with it now everyone has got fed up with me making them voyager martinis...

Frozen Assets

Ginger and banana are often paired in tiki drinks and banana daiquiris. Here I combine them in a cooler format akin to the classic Floradora.

German 47

This also works with pink grapefruit. I lowered the sugar slightly as grapefruit is less sour than lemon. The Monkey 47 really shines through and is complemented

German Monkey Martini

The Jäegermeister and the Bogarts Bitters really play well with the star of the drink - The Monkey 47.

Gin Gibbon

Muddle sage leaves and lime wedge. Add other ingredients and shake with ice. Fine strain into chilled glass

Iron Monkey

stir with ice

Lemon Monkey

Inspired by a cocktail using an unusual ingredient that was created by Simon Difford.

Levitation

Floral and citrus notes from the Monkey 47 gin interplay with the gentle dry maraschino notes all freshened up by the grapefruit liqueur and the grapefruit

Liquid Bakewell

Boozy, yet sweet, with a fragrant maraschino musk. Tart with a syrupy frangipane haze.

Minty monkey

Add the lemon curd first and use the gin to rinse the spoon, or use a couple of the mint leaves to wipe off the remaining lemon curd.

Monkey 47 rhubarb negroni

Stir with ice in a mixing glass and then double strain into old fashioned glass

Monkey Bucket

Monkey Bucket originated from a friend of mine mishearing what someone said and has become an in joke ever since.

Monkey Juice

I like a slice of grapefruit in my Monkey 47 G and T so why not ramp up the grapefruit flavour. This cocktail tastes incredible, balanced and beautiful.

Monkey Puzzle

As well as a myrtle flower, a myrtle berry can also be added to the mix. The maraschino is added to sweeten the mix, can be excluded for those who prefer

Monkey puzzle tea

I love chartreuse and we have lots of oregano in the garden, also my husband made me some lovely rosemary tincture for Christmas.

Monkey Scent

I wanted to pick up the floral lavender notes of Monkey 47, by combining it in a simple and tasty cocktail with elderflower and lemon, classic.

Monkey Suzey

This can be served straight up or on the rocks. If served straight up then I recommend a stemmed glass, such as a Nick and Nora glass or coupe glass, to

Monkey Time

Made in The Gallery, Ipswich to compliment the chef's weekly taco special featuring thyme smoked oyster mushrooms and peach salsa verde

Monkey up

This is a summer drink, so generally want bright flavours from all ingredients, hence the suggested choices of G&T. If you don't like the foamy head,

Monkey up the Beech

Late April-May is when the new season's beech leaves unfurl. While young, they are fresh and supple before going woody as they mature. If you can find

Outlander

Aparat from berry fruits, floral and herbal characteristics of the Gin. There are pronounced notes of red summer berries like ripe strawberries and raspberries

Oyster 47

Aromas of Monkey 47 beautifully compose with the taste of the sea that the oyster delivers. Cocktails is sharp and clean with notes of saltines at the

Palladio

Original gin sour.

Passion fruit monkey

A twist on my raspberry cocktail recipe.

Peckham Calling

A complex, raw, urban honey where the bees have access to a rich variety of garden and park plants is best. Don't, I repeat DON'T make your syrup by boiling

Perfect Pear

I developed this recipe after eating a delicious German pear and marzipan strudel with friends. I wanted to elicit their same delighted reaction by creating

Primavera

I used the delicious Nakata Momo Umeshu, which has a small amount of peach purée combined with the usual plum flavours to round off the Cocchi Americano.

Punto

When Jason Clapham was inspired to create his Dot he said that he misread curacao as cachaca but then subbed in over-proof rum. I wondered what it would

Raspberry right

Found this when scrolling tiktok one day and haven't looked back! Also make an alternative with passoa and passion fruit instead of chamboard and raspberries.

Restorative

Gin version of Restoration, another of mine, which is made with overproof rum.

Schwarzwald Stinging Nettle

shake all with ice. fine strain into chilled glass

Simian Sour with Pine & Cherry

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

Simone's Muse

A Nick & Nora glass works well, as the shape best displays the fact that after serving the drink settles to graduate in colour from warm pink at the

Spicy Monkey Negroni

Lovely flavours of the Monkey 47 Negroni and then you get the Chilli kick. Those who are really brave can drink from the side with the ground Chilli flakes!

STEIN-BLACK MONKEY

Named after Alexander Stein who founded the Black forest distillers using black forest cake ingredients of cherry and chocolate

Tale of 2 islands

Muddle 2/3 chunks of cucumber Add spirits etc to shaker Wet shake Dry shake Double strain Add garnish

Tarragon Gin Sour

You'll end up with surplus tarragon simple syrup. Mix it with sparkling water as a refreshing herbal cordial for hot days.

The "Affe" Gato

I wanted the gin to lead the way, so the lemon, piney rosemary and lime zest are all designed to complement the notes found in the gin itself. Monkey47

The brassy monkey

We would like to win the Monkey 47 competition and just love making up new cocktails.

The Extroverted Introvert

A Monkey 47 competition entry for those who like it bitter

The Introverted Extrovert

A less bitter but more boozy riff on my riff on a Naked and Famous

The Monkey Suit

Keep the Mastiha Liqueur in the freezer

The Uber Gruber

This should be a crystal clear, sweet Martini with herbal notes and gold. Lots of gold. Goldwasser has rich cinnamon and liquorice flavours, while the

Thelonious Monkey

Shake with ice, pour into frozen martini glass

Viva 'Lash' Vegas

A decent amount of Lime is required to balance out the sweet Maraschino and Triple Sec Liqueurs.

Yellow monkey

This can be made as long or as short as you like by adjusting the amount of soda you add.