Black Forest Distillers (Monkey 47) Information

In 2006, Alexander Stein, scion of the traditional Jacobi brandy dynasty and former manager at Nokia, was told of the exsitence of the extraordinary gin recipe from the Black Forest. Stein quickly fell for the legend of the young Royal Air Force officer with his varied and multifaceted biography. He was excited by the idea of producing a Black Forest gin based on regional ingredients and set about bringing the monkey back to life. At the end of 2008, Stein left the telecommunications group and returned to his home of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Here he founded Black Forest Distillers GmbH. The choice of the Black Forest was a deliberate one, because in addition to its natural landscape and innovative inhabitants, it is also home to Black Forest Distillers’ essential ingredients: natural spring water and particularly aromatic berry and fruit varieties. Either by chance or aided by a twist of fate, Stein made the acquaintance of Christoph Keller, a highly acclaimed distiller. Ever since, Keller, who in 2005 settled in Oberen Hegau near Lake Constance, has been devoting himself with considerable success and great meticulousness to his passion: distillation. His creations are highly regarded by experts and have been recognized internationally with over 100 awards in the last three years. Since 2009, Keller has featured regularly in the top category of the 50 best distillers in Europe as chosen by Gault Millau. So the idea was born, a plan drawn up, and the Black Forest distillers had forged their partnership. Montgomery Collins' Black Forest Dry Gin was to be reborn: a master quality gin with floral notes, the freshness of tangy citrus fruits, a clear juniper tone, a peppery, spicy mouthfeel and a subtle hint of cranberries to give it that certain "je ne sais quoi". Produced exclusively by hand using traditional distilling methods and 100% fresh plant ingredients and married with the soft water of the Black Forest.