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Monkey anise: evolutionary and peculiar identity

¡Monkey anise meets 150 years! It celebrates it at a fair in El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) hand in hand Osborne Foundation. It will be open until January. Taking advantage of its anniversary we want to present this drink with all its curiosities. Surely you have never stopped to read the label or have you observed the monkey's face. What makes your bottle a perfect instrument for singing Christmas carols? Next we will review this popular brand leader of its category in Spain and inserted in the collective imagination of all.

The origin and its particular identity

Anís del mono was created by Vincent Bosch a late nineteenth century in Badalona (Barcelona). The story is quite peculiar, since what most differentiates this anise is its identity more than the drink itself. Its creator received as a business gift a small american monkey, since he had made his fortune on that continent. With him he has already begun to outline the name of the brand. However, just a name is not enough. For a drink you also need an attractive bottle.

It turns out that one day Bosch was walking around Paris while choosing which perfume to give his wife. He fixed his eyes on one that was for sale in the Vendôme Square. He already had the gift and the design of the bottle of his anise that sounds when you rub it with a spoon and he already has a fun one app. Later it occurred to him that the monkey on the label wore the face of Charles Darwin. Thus, he took advantage of the pull of the incessant debate between creationists y evolutionists for your Monkey anise. There are those who think that it was a tribute to his ideas of Darwin and those who maintain that he ridicules them.

In addition to the animal's face, the label contains other curiosities. One that gives you a true identity seal is the misspelling. The typo «distillation » it has been maintained since its inception and is not to be changed. It comes from the fact that in Spain there was no technology to print the label in golden. For this reason, he sent his design to a printing company French, from where they sent you the labels with the error.

Monkey Anise Posters

A striking aspect of the free exhibition in Cádiz is the display of the posters. Advertising is always interesting to get to know a company and the products it claims. Even more so in the late XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries. This was the golden age of artists like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His work developed from advertising, which paid for his expenses. Well known are his posters of the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris.

The case of Monkey anise follow the same stream. The designers of its advertising were very talented people who permeated and marked the character of the liqueur. In 1897 the company held a competition to design its poster. Won it Ramon Casas with his famous "Manolas", women dressed in folk dresses. This is known for becoming the influence of world renowned artists such as John Gray y Pablo Picasso.

Monkey on the seafront of Badalona
Monkey on the seafront of Badalona / Source: @AnisDelMono

Badalonese pride

For something they call him "The Badalona diamond". The most peculiar musical instrument of Christmas is a pride for the Barcelona city. In fact, its factory has been preserved for its artistic and heritage value, as it is a jewel modernist. The best thing is that it is the only factory by the sea that is preserved. In addition, it continues to impregnate the area with the smell of anise. It should also be noted that on the promenade next to the factory there is a statue of the monkey from 2012. It is made from 200 kilos of bronze

Osborne and the exhibition

The Osborne family acquired the brand in 1975. It has preserved its tradition, as few drinks that old can boast of preserving their identity. We are talking about a company that includes, among other brands, brandy Veterano and the gin Nordés. This is the one that has organized the free exhibition held in El Puerto de Santa María. In it the public will also be able to discover the drinks of the time such as absinthe and other spirits that are no longer marketed.

Bottles of Monkey Anise
Monkey on the seafront of Badalona / Source: @AnisDelMono

How can we check, Monkey anise he has known how to adapt to circumstances. It has survived without losing its magic and has remained true to its aesthetic. They are values ​​worth appreciating in a world as changing as ours is. Hopefully that continues. Since Gastronomic Information We want to wish you happy birthday and many more to celebrate.

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