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dor. Nick Douglas, director of purchasing at The Party
Source, chimed in on his store’s experience with Monkey
Shoulder, which has been a staple in his store.
“Monkey Shoulder is actually fantastic. It’s a very
well-rounded whiskey. I think one of the reasons it’s a
staple here is because it’s such a great whiskey for the
price. We’re selling it between $32 and $35. If people are
looking for an inexpensive type of scotch that’s going to
be easy drinking, Monkey Shoulder is a good way to go,”
commented Douglas.
A WHISKEY FOR CONNOISSEURS
Monkey Shoulder’s packaging isn’t the only thing that
makes it a popular product. Its taste has won several
big awards in recent years, including a Gold award at
the 2011 International Wine & Spirit Competition and
Double Gold at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirit
Awards. Monkey Shoulder is 86 proof, has an ABV of
43 percent, and typically retails for $30 to $32 per 750
ml. This scotch whiskey has delicate floral notes with
zesty citrus orange and soft, fresh fruit aromas. Monkey
Shoulder has a sweet and rich vanilla taste with hints of
brown sugar, creamy toffee, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The spirit’s overall smooth and lingering sweetness
also makes it well-suited for scotch-based cocktails,
says Derbomez. “The beauty of Monkey Shoulder
is that because of its flavor profile it’s very versatile,”
he explains. “We love to play in the world of cocktails
and you’d be surprised that Monkey Shoulder makes
shockingly good cocktails. It’s very driven with spices
like cinnamon and vanilla, which come from the aging
process. I haven’t found anyone yet during all the sam-
plings and tastings I’ve done through my time with the
brand that have turned around and said they don’t like
it. It’s really approachable.”
A WHISKEY FOR CIGAR PAIRINGS
Monkey Shoulder has become a favorite among mixolo-
gists and those who consider themselves single-malt pur-
ists. Along with it being a versatile drink, it also pairs well
with cigars. Derbomez was a bartender and bar manager
in Australia before working with Monkey Shoulder. In his
bar, patrons were offered a cocktail menu that also paired
the different drink options with a selection of premium
cigars, a marketing tip he suggests to retailers who are also
looking to leverage the two popular categories against one
another in their stores. Monkey Shoulder goes great with
many Robustos, according to Derbomez, who also named
Partagas Serie D No. 4 as his favorite cigar to smoke while
drinking this premium scotch whiskey.
Douglas also had some suggestions for retailers in-
terested in cross promoting Monkey Shoulder with pre-
mium cigars. “Monkey Shoulder would be an excellent
cigar malt for a couple of reasons. It’s not in your face
or so smoky that it’s going to overpower a cigar. I think
you could smoke a Connecticut with it, as long as it is a
rather flavorful Connecticut. The sweetness you get from
Monkey Shoulder would work great with it. I also think
maybe a nice Habano would pair well with it. You’ll
have the smooth sweetness of the whiskey pairing and
blending with the pepper notes of the Habano cigar.”
When asked for a more specific pairing recommenda-
tion, Douglas suggested smoking Ventura Cigar Company’s
Sage Advice, one of the cigars in its Archetype series.
TB
GINGER BREWSKY
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 part Monkey Shoulder
3/4 part ginger syrup
3/4 part fresh lemon juice
Beer (an ale or slightly
dark beer works best)
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients
other than beer
to shaker
2. Shake well with ice
3. Strain into glass
and top with beer
Special tip:
When topping this drink
with beer, open the bottle
and place your thumb
over the end of it. Shake it
and turn the beer upside
down over the Ginger
Brewsky and top it with
a mousse beer spray by
slightly lifting your thumb
off the bottle. One bottle
of beer should allow you
to mousse four Ginger
Brewskies. This move
takes a bit of practice, but
once mastered will make
you the talk of any party.
[ T O B A C C O B U S I N E S S . C O M ]
TOBACCO BUSINESS
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