Talking Monkey Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 10/25/21
Talking Monkey Cocktail in glasses

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
523 Calories
19g Fat
26g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 523
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 25%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 32mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 73mg 6%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 136mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The talking monkey is a creamy dessert cocktail with the sweet taste of chocolate, banana, and coffee. It's an utterly delicious drink and a bit like a banana split martini with a jolt.

This recipe was created for Van Gogh Vodka and designed to feature two of the brand's flavored vodkas: Dutch Chocolate and Espresso. It's a fantastic duo that's perfect for the banana and coffee liqueur accents. Setting these flavors against a creamy background ensures that you'll enjoy a most indulgent cocktail whenever you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce chocolate vodka

  • 1 dash ​espresso vodka

  • 1 ounce banana liqueur

  • 1 dash coffee liqueur

  • 1 ounce cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Talking Monkey Cocktail ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the vodkas, banana and coffee liqueurs, and cream. Let stand for 5 seconds.

    Talking Monkey Cocktail ingredients in shot glasses, next to a cocktail shaker

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Fill with ice, and shake vigorously.

    Shake the cocktail shaker

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

    Talking Monkey Cocktail in a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Use ice cubes rather than crushed ice, if you like. The crushed form will create a slightly slushier drink because it's already partially broken down, but the cubes will work just fine. Be sure to shake a little longer when using cubes.
  • For the banana liqueur, look for bottles of 99 Bananas, Marie Brizard, Bols, DeKuyper, and Hiram Walker. Some of these are labeled banana schnapps.
  • Heavy cream is used most often for dairy cocktails. Pouring milk or a dairy alternative will result in a very light drink, or you could take the middle ground and use half-and-half.
  • If you want to eliminate a bottle and skip the espresso vodka, pour an extra dash of coffee liqueur. It works the other way if you only have the vodka in your bar.

Recipe Variations

Transform this cocktail into a frozen treat. There's a popular recipe called a chocolate monkey that is very similar to this recipe. It's typically a blend of vodka, crème de cacao, and banana liqueur with either ice or chocolate ice cream (or both). You can use Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate and banana liqueur alone or add the coffee ingredients for extra dimension.

  • Try this mix to start: 1 1/2 ounces chocolate vodka, 1 ounce banana liqueur, 1/2 ounce espresso vodka and/or coffee liqueur, 1 scoop of chocolate ice cream. Blend until smooth. Vanilla ice cream works, too.
  • Alternatively, keep the talking monkey's cream and use 1 cup of ice (about 5 or 6 cubes).

How Strong Is a Talking Monkey?

Van Gogh bottles their flavored vodkas at 70 proof rather than vodka's standard 80 proof. Adding the cream to that results in a relatively light cocktail compared to most martini-style drinks. On average, the alcohol content of this recipe should be 16 percent ABV (32 proof), or just slightly stronger than a glass of wine.

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