The new venture, which comes four years after Red Frog launched and just over a year since it was named no.92 in the World’s 50 Best Bars, represents a new direction for owners and Lisbon bar scene pioneers Paulo Gomez and Emanuel Minêz.
Where Red Frog is a small high-concept speakeasy with a leaning towards theatrical, high-spec cocktails, Monkey Mash caters for higher volumes with more accessible, sustainable 3-4 ingredient drinks, such as the Monkey Daiquiri made with with banana and peanut.
Drinks International visited Monkey Mash during its soft launch and ahead of the full unveiling in May. Gomes told DI: “We know we’ve led the bar scene in Portugal with Red Frog and we must continue to lead growth. But with Monkey Mash we wanted to do something simpler with a different concept.”
Monkey Mash is a bright and tropical-themed lounge bar, with a focus on white spirits and while cocktails may appear simple on the surface, there is complex drinks making behind them.
“Our laboratory is full of technology which allows us to work with ingredients in a more sustainable way and using less resources," said Gomes. "This is one of the pillars of the menu – to reuse ingredients beyond single use, using local ingredients to replace far flung ingredients, where possible and where not, using ingredients from Portugal’s own islands."
Minêz, who is also the co-organiser of the Lisbon Bar Show, said Monkey Mash would be fully launched and ready to welcome guests ahead of the show on May 14-15.
