The modern world is on a quest to find the elixir of life! Some renounce the comforts of civilisation, some abstain from alcohol, but on the mole of the Spanish city of Badalona sits a happy monkey with a bottle of good anisette and intends to drink it. The anis monkey with Darwin’s face isn’t a joke that pokes fun at supporters of the fashionable healthy lifestyle, and it definitely doesn’t try to promote alcoholic beverages. The 200-kilogram bronze sculpture is the most photographed object in Baladona and belongs to the city’s main attraction, the Anis del Mono distillery. According to a legend, the Bosch brothers had a pet monkey who had an affinity for liquor. To this day, everyone who sees the famous label, asks the same question: “Why does the monkey have a human face?”

Back in the 19th century, two merchants Josep and Vicenc Bosch bought a small distillery in Badalona. More than 150 years later, Anis del Mono is regarded as one of the best manufacturers of anisette in Spain. By the early 20th century, there was some serious competition as about 40 distilleries operated in Badalona. Many tried to forge the famous drink, but they never could imitate the shape and label of the bottle. Vicenc Bosch stumbled upon the idea for the diamond-edged bottle in a fragrance shop in Paris. Later, he also added the famous label and registered his own brand. Customers liked those faceted bottles so much that they wouldn’t throw them away. Some used them as vases, others as musical instruments. There was also an intentional spelling error on the original label that went unnoticed by the brand’s less literate competitors.

Today the Anis del Mono distillery is a magnificent complex with furniture and interior executed in the Art Nouveau style, bearing great historical value. The original equipment that was used over a century ago is stored there as well. It is capable of producing liquor to this day using the traditional method.