5 Signature Monkey Shoulder cocktail recipes for your at-home happy hours

After a long day at work, there’s nothing better to look forward to than a crisp, refreshing cocktail. But let’s be real here, not everyone would have the time (or energy) to head out to the neighbourhood watering hole for a nightcap. So to make sure you’re getting your happy hour fix, we worked with Monkey Shoulder and KL Cocktail Week to bring you five refreshing tipple recipes that you can make at home. 

GINGER MONKEY

This cocktail was made for those who love a quick and easy drink to make and enjoy. With notes of orange and ginger, it is an aromatic sipper. According to Monkey Shoulder, it might even make you go “OMG”—orange, monkey, ginger. 

Ingredients:

• 50ml Monkey Shoulder 
• 120ml Ginger ale
• An orange wedge

Method:

1. Fill a tall glass with ice
2. Pour in Monkey Shoulder and Ginger Ale
3. Gently stir and garnish with orange wedge

LAZY OLD FASHIONED

A perennial favourite in the world of classic cocktails, the Old Fashioned has been modified and remixed into many different iterations over the years. In fact, Monkey Shoulder was made specifically for this drink. So, why not make a whole batch of it at home to keep in the fridge for a rainy day? Simple, easy, and to the point, here’s a recipe that will have you and your friends clinking glasses in no time. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 bottle of Monkey Shoulder 
• 90 ml Simple syrup
• 10ml Angostura bitters

Method: 

1. Measure out 100ml Monkey Shoulder from the bottle—save it elsewhere for another time!
2. Add simple syrup and angostura bitters straight into bottle
3. Shake bottle to mix
4. Serve over ice and garnish with orange peel 

MONKEY COLADA

This is Monkey Shoulder’s twist on the tropical piña colada. The coconut cream and pineapple juice are perfect matches for the whisky. Not to mention, the cocktail is great to have to beat the Malaysian heat. 

Ingredients: 

• 45ml Monkey Shoulder 
• 25ml coconut cream
• 45ml pineapple juice
• 10ml lime juice
• 5ml Simple syrup
• Pineapple leaf and chunks

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender 
2. Blend until smooth
3. Pour into a tall glass
4. Garnish with pineapple leaf and chunks

WHISKY JAM SOUR

This cocktail is yet another remix of a classic—the whisky sour. Great for those with a sweet tooth, it is a fruity treat that combines the flavours of whisky and doughnuts. 

Ingredients: 

• 45ml Monkey Shoulder 
• 25ml lemon juice
• 10ml Simple syrup
• 2 teaspoons of jam or marmalade
• Egg white (optional)

Method: 

1. Add all ingredients into a shaker
2. If using egg whites, shake without ice
3. If making a glass without egg whites, add ice and shake
4. Strain into a glass with ice

SHOW ME THE MONKEY

Want to feel like you’re running through a Speyside orchard on a summer’s day? Making a glass of Show Me The Monkey will do the trick with its refreshing combination of apples and mint leaves. 

Ingredients: 

• 50ml Monkey Shoulder 
• 20ml Drambuie liqueur
• 80ml pressed cloudy apple juice
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves
• Orange slice

Method:

1. Combine Monkey Shoulder, Drambuie, apple juice, and mint leaves in a shaker with ice
2. Shake well
3. Strain into a tall ice-filled glass. 
4. Garnish with the orange slice and mint leaves

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