Drunken Monkey Cocktail

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

When you’re in the mood for something fruity and tropical, you’ll be in good company with a Drunken Monkey.

If you’ve followed any of my musings here on any given cocktail, you’ve probably run across a movie reference or two. Tonight’s cocktail, the Drunken Monkey, immediately reminded me of the Drunken Master movies starring cinema legend Jackie Chan. And while the inspirations for this drink do come from the Chinese myth of the Monkey King—and the martial arts it inspired—Jackie Chan’s Wong Fei-Hung’s drunken style was his own invention, and involved being absolutely hammered. Actual drunken monkey kung-fu style only mimics the unpredictable movements of a boozed-up simian. So, sorry gang. You won’t be imbibing and gracefully stumbling through action sequences with today’s recipe.

The Drunken Monkey cocktail is a tiki drink, associated with Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, California. A potent and tropical mixture, the recipe we’re sharing is made up of a few different rums, fruit juices and banana liqueur. With hints of coconut and citrus, the Drunken Monkey could have taken its name from the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Chinese myth. One story tells of the deity stealing ample amounts of wine of fruits meant for the immortals and indulging himself, becoming one gloriously drunken monkey.

And while that story might be myth, there is evidence that monkeys do indeed indulge themselves in fermented and overripe fruit, becoming not unlike their human counterparts during a relaxing weekend.

In other words… drunk.

What Is The Best Alcohol To Use In A Drunken Monkey Cocktail?

You’ll need a few different styles of rum and a banana liqueur for the boozy elements in this drink. For the coconut rum, a bottle of Malibu is easy to find, and has been a mainstay at bars around the world for a reason. Next, you can go with either a spiced or dark rum, the difference with them being that the dark is aged longer and the spiced has, of course, more infused spices. I like to use Kraken, a strong and cost-effective spirit that is labeled as a black spiced rum. For the banana liqueur, both Hiram Walker and DeKuyper offer a crème de banana, with other options being Drillaud and Allen’s Banana Liqueur.

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH ARE USED?

Drinks like this are more fun when served in a decorative tiki mug, but if you don’t have one on hand, a classic hurricane glass will do the trick. Fill it with ice, pour your cocktail in and garnish with a fresh lime slice and pineapple wedge.

CAN THIS BE MADE AS A MOCKTAIL?

You can replace the rums and liqueur present in this drink with banana and coconut flavored syrups to make this a virgin beverage.

Other Tropical Cocktails Worth Trying

There’s nothing finer than getting lost in the fantasy of a dream vacation, somewhere truly off the beaten path and away from everything. You can imagine yourself on a hammock, an island breeze gently swaying you back and forth as you sip on a fruity and powerfully strong elixir. But what are you drinking? Maybe Twist & Toast has a few ideas for you.

• Bermuda Rum Swizzle – It’s not officially summertime until you’ve had a Swizzle or two.
• Bob Marley – A delicious, tasty tribute to Jamaica and the reggae legend.
• Pearl Harbor – A simple and relaxing concoction, inspired by the shores of Hawaii.
• Rum Punch – If Mary Poppins is pining for a Rum Punch, it must be good.