Throughout the month of March, Monkey 47 embarked on a three-city experiential tour across the U.S., inviting spirits industry trade professionals into the German Black Forest—”The Schwarzwald”—which is home to 47 botanicals the gin is made with. The events were educational by design, but Monkey 47 cloaked them “with an element of secrecy and mystery, [which was] essential in order to lure our target guests,” explained Bert Saville, the senior brand manager of Monkey 47 and Malfy gins (which are both part of the Pernod Ricard portfolio).
The events took place in New York City, Chicago, and Miami. In each city, top trade influencers were personally invited to the event by a Monkey 47 sales associate—though the invite left out all the info guests are used to receiving ahead of an event. In fact, even the address of the event was initially ambiguous, a strategic decision to ensure guests couldn’t help but explore, discover, and constantly ask themselves, “So, what’s next?” according to the events’ agency partner, BMF. 
The decor at each event was inspired by Monkey 47's Apartment 47 suite at the luxury Fritz Lauterbad hotel in Germany, which boasts monkey figures and a copper bar that’s reminiscent of the copper stills used for distilling juniper schnapps.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
In the spirit of ambiguity, venues were set in off-the-beaten-path locations. The experiential series kicked off with two events in NYC at Speakeasy Magick, for instance, a performing arts theater nestled within a bar in Flatiron. Monkey 47 then headed to Chicago and Miami, where BMF tapped immersive theater company Emursive Productions—and Windy City-based architectural salvage store Salvage One and Miami’s Ace Prop House & Studios, respectively—to build out the experience from scratch at blank-canvas venues.
In all, some 800 guests attended the events, which drew inspiration from Apartment 47 by Monkey 47, a retro-themed safari suite at the luxury Fritz Lauterbad hotel in Germany’s Black Forest that resembles a Prohibition-era speakeasy club. In this 947-square-foot suite, the wallpaper boasts monkey figures and ferns in tribute to Monkey 47 and a copper bar that’s reminiscent of the copper stills used for distilling juniper schnapps. “Every touchpoint of our Apartment 47 trade experience was meant to tell a story,” Saville explained, noting that the event series had a similar mission—down to the evenings’ signature cocktail offerings. 
Even ice cubes boasted edible pictures of monkeys. On offer: The Slingon Berry, the Schwarzwald Sting, and the White Negroni, which each highlighted some of the 47 botanicals within the gin.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
The Slingon Berry cocktail, for example, “highlights the lingonberry, our botanical secret weapon sourced from the Black Forest,” per Saville. Meanwhile, “the Schwarzwald Sting delivered a spicy punch with ginger and cardamon. And dispensed from the Monkey Machine, the White Negroni is a beautiful blend of Monkey 47, Lillet, and Italicus—nodding to the citrus botanicals that are peeled each day at our distillery in the Black Forest.”
Live magicians performed at each event—though, naturally, guests weren’t told about that ahead of time. “Building on the unknown elements of the night, guests’ cellphone cameras were covered to hype the surprise performance that they were about to experience,” added Saville, noting that his personal favorite part of the event was “hiding in the shadows during each performance, watching and listening as our guests gasped and screamed out loud in delight.” The experience was made even more special by the lack of cameras. “What happened in that room is a secret, only for those fortunate enough to receive an invite,” Saville said.
It was no easy feat “devising an experience packed with brand knowledge, but [doing] it in a way in which guests were excited and receptive to the delivery,” Saville said, noting the event series’ success in inspiring trade professionals “to repeat our story time and again to their customers and guests through their beverage programs and at retail.” Speaking of telling Monkey 47’s story again, BMF teased that the experience is scheduled for another slate of stops across the U.S. later in 2025.
Keep scrolling to get an inside look at Monkey 47’s experience... 
The events' invites were ambiguous by design so that when guests arrived they were surprised and delighted by performances from live magicians and musicians.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
Every touchpoint at each of the three events sought to educate guests about the Monkey 47 brand.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
Bert Saville, the senior brand manager of Monkey 47 and Malfy gins (which are both part of the Pernod Ricard portfolio), said his favorite part of putting on the events was “hiding in the shadows during each performance, watching and listening as our guests gasped and screamed out loud in delight.”Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
Across three events in New York City, Chicago, and Miami, 800 guests were invited to the Monkey 47 experiences.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
In the spirit of mystery, each of the three venues that played host to the events was off the beaten path.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
In another subtle nod to the gin brand, monkey tails acted as skewers for light bites.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
The event told Monkey 47's story, which originates in the German Black Forest—”The Schwarzwald”—that’s home to 47 botanicals the gin is made with.Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography + Jordan Braun Creative
