monkey paw

2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Crème de Banana (Giffard)
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Absinthe (1/2 barspoon Pernod Absinthe)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

There was a Monkey Gland riff on the online menu at Barrel House in Beverly, but when I visited a short while ago, they had turned over the menu and removed the Monkey Paw. I was too distracted by their other offerings to request one, but I did manage to get the recipe for it. The tweak to the classic was adding banana liqueur to the mix whether in addition to the grenadine or by splitting the volume in half (depending on your source recipe). Giffard's Banane du Bresil can add a lot when mixed with herbal liqueurs like Campari in the Banana Boulevardier and Cardamaro in the Father's Advice to name but two, and I was curious to see how it would work with absinthe and if it could make the less-than-stellar Monkey Gland a winner.
The Monkey Paw reached the nose with a very tropical aroma of orange, banana, and anise. This prepared the mouth for the orange, banana, and berry sip that transitioned into a gin, banana, and absinthe swallow. Indeed, the banana liqueur gave an extra dimension and complexity to the drink without paying disrespect to the classic.