These smoothies from Drunken Monkey are health drinks in a glass bottle

Just when you thought that milkshake brands had exhausted all possible ways of reinventing the vintage glass milk bottle to serve up their drinks, a new player in the market arrives. And with a fancy new glass bottle at that. A step away from the creamy, sugary thick shakes that we have come to love, Drunken Monkey looks at creating a new niche among the health-conscious. “We are in a similar segment as most milkshake brands. But our offerings are sugar-free, contain real fruit and can be classified as energy smoothies,” says Coimbatore-franchise owner, BR Surya. 

Lean and green 
Serving a range of 174 smoothies, detox drinks and milkshakes in a 350 ml glass workout bottle, Hyderabad headquartered brand, Drunken Monkey is the brainchild of outdoor adventure junkie Samrat Reddy. Set up in 2015, the brand which aimed at creating a range of smoothies that used the best of locally-sourced ingredients recently added Coimbatore to its list of cities. Located just across Walker’s Path at Race Course, we learn that most morning customer favourites are from the Meal, Detox and Protein smoothie sections of the menu. Pointing to the most healthy looking drink on offer, we start with the U Kill, I Kill detox juice. A spinach-based concoction with cucumber, pineapple and mint, its dark green hue is the only menacing aspect by the looks of it. Surprisingly subtle in flavour, the hints of sweet pineapple and mint balance out the lack of sugar and is an oddly satisfying brew. Making up for the sugar-free experience with an ice cream based milkshake, next up is the Nut Case from the Something Special Section. Topped off with more than a generous sprinkle of cashews and almonds, this milkshake is sweet despite its use of a low-sugar ice cream. “The figs lend a large amount of natural sugar,” shares Surya. 

The secrets within
We take a quick breather to pick a board game from a shelf placed at the corner of this 18-seating parlour when the Monkey Confidential Part 1 arrives. A signature smoothie that uses fruits and one part dairy, the exact ingredients that are used remains a mystery. While we taste bits of chikoo and apple in the drink, no amount of coaxing seems to work with Surya as he refuses to acknowledge our answers and offers instead a poker-faced smile. 

Rs 99 onwards. Open from 8 am to 11 pm.