Several theories exist about the origin of its name: One theory references the bottles in which the drink was initially sold. These were bottles of
Anís del Mono, imported from Spain and popular in the Americas, whose label featured a monkey with a long tail. Another theory points to the political use of the word "cola" (tail), which refers to a candidate who loses an election. After the
1901 Chilean presidential election, when
Pedro Montt was defeated by
Germán Riesco, Riesco's supporters reportedly celebrated his victory and "Montt's tail" at an ice cream parlor on San Pablo Street. The owner supposedly served his specialty: adding aguardiente to melted coffee-flavored ice cream. The drink, initially dubbed "cola de Montt," allegedly morphed into "cola de mono." In
Apuntes para la historia de la cocina chilena (1943), historian
Eugenio Pereira Salas notes: "Juana Flores, the creator of 'cola de mono,' a variation of traditional milk punches with a mischievous twist, enriched with fragrant coffee essence and vanilla, died [...] in her beloved neighborhood of Plaza Almagro, in her cozy and charming home [...]." In
Folklore lingüístico chileno (1981), folklorist
Oreste Plath claims it was invented by Juana Flores' husband, Fermín Riquelme Carmona, who disliked the name "cola de mono" and preferred "colemono," as he had originally named it. == Preparation ==