Monkey 47
Black Forest, Germany
Forty-seven botanicals at 47% ABV. Zero sugar, but the highest strength and heaviest aromatic load of any mainstream gin, which puts it last on this list.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- juniper, coriander, angelica, lingonberry, citrus peel, spruce, lavender, sage
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 115
- Sugar
- 0g
16.5g ethanol at 47% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No added sugar
- ✓Exceptional aromatic complexity
What to watch
- !47% ABV is the highest here, and proof drives calories
- !Heaviest botanical load in the category
- !Easy to over-pour at bar measures calibrated for 40%
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Monkey 47 is the outlier on this page, and it is the only gin here that does not score the category baseline of 3. Not because of sugar, of which it has none, and not because of congeners, which are as low as any dry gin. It is the proof.
At 47% ABV, a 1.5oz pour delivers about 17% more ethanol than the same pour of a 40% gin, and since ethanol is where a dry gin’s entire calorie count comes from, it is also the most calorific gin in the list by a clear margin. Bar measures are calibrated by volume, not by dose, so the same “one gin and soda” is a meaningfully bigger drink. The forty-seven botanicals are a genuine pleasure and are not the health variable; the strength is.
Monkey 47 questions
How many calories are in a shot of Monkey 47? ▾
About 115 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 47% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Monkey 47 have sugar? ▾
No. Monkey 47 has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Monkey 47 gluten-free? ▾
Yes. Monkey 47 is made from molasses. There is no wheat, barley or rye at any stage.
What is Monkey 47 made from? ▾
Monkey 47 is made from molasses. Its botanicals include juniper, coriander, angelica, lingonberry, citrus peel, spruce, lavender, sage.
What proof is Monkey 47? ▾
Monkey 47 is 94 proof, which is 47% alcohol by volume.
Does Monkey 47 give you a bad hangover? ▾
Monkey 47 scores 4/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 3/10 for gin overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Monkey 47 vegan? ▾
Yes. Monkey 47 is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.