The Drink of the Week, Brass Monkey, was chosen in honor of a recently departed member of the Ted Perez family - Senator John Hays.
The name "Brass Monkey" tends to mean different things based on the context of its use. From the English colloquial expression and the 1986 single by the Beastie Boys to an English folk band and, of course, the cocktail. Brass Monkey roots go back to when it was produced as a premixed cocktail by the Heublein Company between the 1970s and 1990s. The label was a unique alternative when first introduced due to the fact that most liquor stores only carried beer, wine and hard liquor, not mixed drinks. Today, the Brass Monkey tends to be a lesser-known cocktail and its recipe varies widely. A few of versions include:
Equal parts beer and orange juice.
A mixture of gin, triple sec, tequila, orange juice, sour mix and grapefruit juice.
Equal parts of dark rum, vodka and orange juice.
The variation Ted Perez chose to study was, as we believe it, born on the hard-scrabble streets of Baltimore. In short, the rule is to consume a bottle of malt liquor until the beer level is even with the top of the label, fill the bottle back up with orange juice and roll it slowly across the ground to create a homogonous mixture. Grip, tip + sip.
Colt 45 Malt Liquor and Tampico Citrus Punch
This combination immediately yielded “heavy” body with a significant volume of curdled foam. Smell was very sweet and pleasant, almost like an orange Creamsicle ("It's like we got Orange Whips...Orange Whip?...Orange Whip?"). Taste was sherbet-like with a light sweetness and a malty backend.
Mickey’s Malt Liquor and Minute Maid Orange Juice
Once these ingredients were mixed, the body and curdle were significantly lighter than that of the Colt 45. The scent was “skunkier” as the Mickey’s had a stronger malt aroma. Taste was decent, however, the malt flavors were very strong and there was very little sweetness. Not a very balanced combination.
Schlitz and AriZona Orangeade
Contrary to the first two days, this version yielded almost no curdles or foam even though it was the most effervescent of the week. Unfortunately, the cocktail’s taste wasn’t as appeasing as its appearance. Again, the maltiness of the beer overpowered the mixer and the combination ended up tasting like orange beer.
Olde English "800" and Sunny D
This combination was the most balanced in terms of curdle and body (very light on both). Taste was balanced as well (not too much maltiness or sweetness). There was a slight malty aftertaste but this was a welcome addition given the fact that the cocktail had a solid sweet, orange base from the Sunny D.
King Cobra Malt Liquor and Tampico Citrus Punch
The final sampling of the week yielded an average volume of foam in addition to a medium body. Taste was average when compared to the other samplings. Orange flavor and sweetness were moderate, but the maltiness was fairly pronounced (closer to the orange beer flavor that the Shlitz and AriZona had).
Verdict
Overall, all five versions of this cocktail only varied on three to four characteristics: Amount of curdle/foam, body, maltiness and sweetness from the orange. While all the samplings didn’t vary dramatically in body, there was a significant difference in maltiness and sweetness. After taking these factors into account, Ted Perez found the Olde English “800” and Sunny D combination to be the most flavorful and balanced. Generally speaking, this is an ideal cocktail for people that enjoy flavored beer.
