Monkey Tail: ogogoro (local gin) left to brew in marijuana leaves. Photo Credit: Usha Anenga

“Monkey Tail,” though an unlikely-sounding moniker, is simply a drink made of ogogoro (local gin) left to brew in igbo (marijuana leaves, stems, roots or seeds) for a few days or more, producing varying units of intoxication (UOI) for the user.

The beverage gives users two different kinds of “highs” simultaneously with unpredictable outcomes, especially for a novice and depending on the alcoholic content, igbo potency and amount consumed. There is also the case of synergy where, for example, ten UOI of ogogoro plus ten UOI of igbo can cause thirty-seven UOI when consumed.

Today, Monkey Tail is seen by Nigerians as a popular masculine drink. Street boys are believed to abuse it recklessly, mostly as an agent of Dutch courage and ‘escape’ from the trials of street life. While at the higher echelons of the social structure, gentlemen are most likely to drink it responsibly and mostly for sexual purposes. Women who drink Monkey Tail would by default be perceived to be wayward or unwomanly. Continue reading →