Last Updated:
The Cheeky Monkey Cocktail is a little different from our usual mixes.
Sure, it’s still quick and easy to make, but it has a rather niche ingredient in it: Yellow Chartreuse.
With Yellow Chartreuse, you mix Vodka, Orange Juice, and Orange Bitters to make a tasty but rather out-there blend.
You just have to try it!
How do you make a Cheeky Monkey? What even is Yellow Chartreuse…?
Great questions! Let’s get into it!
What’s a Cheeky Monkey Cocktail?
What’s a Cheeky Monkey?
…is the exact question I thought that ran through my mind when I saw the cocktail on a menu of a swanky cocktail bar some years back.
I’d never heard of it before and I love trying new cocktails.
Then I looked at the ingredients: Vodka, Yellow Chartreuse, Orange Juice, and Orange Bitters…
…wait. What even is Yellow Chartreuse? (you can find out more about Yellow Chartreuse below).
It didn’t matter. I ordered the cocktail and I loved it. The flavour was so different: orange citrus overtones, resting on strong herbal undertones.
It was fantastic – you have to try it.
What Ingredients do you need to make a Cheeky Monkey Cocktail?
Before we get into the Cheeky Monkey cocktail recipe, let’s take a look at some of the ingredients we need to make it.
…Or you can jump directly to the recipe.
Vodka
We compared 12 different brands of Vodka and determined that Smirnoff was the overall best option. Given the current climate with Russia, that may seem like a questionable choice, but Smirnoff isn’t made in Russia, it’s made all over the world.
It actually has a history of Russian persecution and the creators were forced to flee Russia.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Yellow Chartreuse Liqueur
Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur that’s made in two varieties:
- Yellow
- Green
These differ in taste an alcohol levels.
In one form or another, Chartreuse has been around since the 1600s, being perfected by monks in 1737 and was intended to be used for medicinal purposes.
Yellow Chartreuse is made from cinnamon, mace, lemon balm, dried hyssop flower tops, peppermint, thyme, costmary, arnica flowers, genepi, angelica roots, cardamom seeds and socctrine aloes.
For Yellow Chartreuse Liqueur, we recommend:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Orange Juice
Orange Juice is an essential ingredient for most bars and fridges all around the world. Why? As this delicious list of cocktails with Orange Juice will show you, it mixes well with virtually any form of alcohol.
Cocktails with Orange Juice and Vodka? Absolutely.
Cocktails with Orange Juice and Tequila? Naturally.
Cocktails with Orange Juice and Rum? Sure, why not?
And the list doesn’t end there.
For Orange Juice, we recommend:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Orange Bitters
Orange Bitters is an alcohol cocktail ingredients aimed at providing drinks with a bitter orange flavour.
Orange Bitters are made using peels of Seville oranges, cardamon, caraway seed, coriander, anise, and burnt sugar in a alcohol base.
For Orange Bitters, we recommend:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
How do You Garnish a Cheeky Monkey Cocktail?
The Cheeky Monkey Cocktail is garnished with a slice of orange to compliment the orange citrus flavours of the drink.
What Cocktail Equipment do you need to make a Cheeky Monkey Cocktail?
Now we know what goes into the Cheeky Monkey, but what do you need to make it?
Let’s take a look at some of the cocktail equipment we’ll need to make it.
…Or just click here to skip directly to the recipe!
Cocktail Shaker
Cocktail shakers improve the taste of cocktails. It’s a fact.
There’s a reason that famed British spy James Bonds says “shaken, not stirred”. And that reason is: because it tastes better.
If you don’t already have a cocktail shaker set, you might want to check out our detailed Cocktail Shaker comparison article.
But to cut a long story short, here’s the cocktail shaker we recommend:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Hawthorne Strainer
If you (or perhaps the person your buying for) don’t have a Hawthorne strainer as part of a cocktail shaker set, it’s a great, and incredibly useful, cocktail gift you need in your cocktail toolbox.
The strainer is typically used to remove the ice (or any other unwanted solid ingredients) from your cocktail as it’s poured from the cocktail shaker into your glass.
For a Hawthorne Strainer, we recommend:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Cocktail Glass
This cocktail recipe tastes great, but let’s make it look great too.
Having the right glass for the right cocktail always makes the experience more enjoyable in my experience.
And the right glass is a cocktail glass.
We recommend:
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Cheeky Monkey Recipe
Cheeky Monkey
Tweet this Recipe
Share on FacebookIngredients
- Vodka 30ml / 1oz
- Yellow Chartreuse Liqueur 30ml / 1oz
- Orange Juice 45ml / 1.5oz
- 1 dash of Orange Bitters
- 1 slide of orange to garnish
Recipe
- Add Ice, Vodka, Yellow Chartreuse Liqueur, Orange Juice, and Orange Bitters to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake well.
- Strain into a Cocktail Glass.
- Garnish with a slice of orange
How many Calories are in a Cheeky Monkey?
So now we know how to make a Cheeky Monkey cocktail, let’s see how it’ll affect our waistlines!
Here’s how the calories breakdown:
- 30ml Vodka 65 calories
- 30ml Yellow Chartreuse 100 calories
- 45ml Orange Juice 21 calories
- Dash of Orange Bitters 2 calories
The total calories of a Cheeky Monkey cocktail is 188 calories.
Want More Cocktail Recipes?
Do you love our Cheeky Monkey cocktail, but want to try something a little different? We’ve got you covered!
Find more cocktail recipes in the following places on ThatCocktail:
Or if you want see the latest cocktail recipes as they’re posted, check out our Facebook page.
