Brass Monkey

This song is about an alcoholic beverage. Brass Monkey is rum, vodka, and orange juice mixed over ice. Very popular with college kids trying to get drunk. The Beasties are not limited to just this cocktail, however, as the song explores various alcohol-related activities and beverages, apparently financed by their producer, Rick Rubin ("Double R. foots the bill most definitely"). Also showing up in the song: martinis, Moet champagne, and Chivas Regal whiskey.

In some circles, a Brass Monkey is mixture of malt liquor and orange juice, typically made by adding OJ to a 40-ounce bottle of Olde English. That's not what the Beastie Boys had in mind though. As Mike D confirmed, they were referring to a premixed cocktail served in a can. Made by the Heublein Company, it was sold in the '70s and '80s. The company wasn't specific about the ingredients, claiming it was made from "a secret combination of liquors."

According to Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, he's the one who got turned on to Brass Monkey. Beastie Boys were signed to Rick Rubin's fledgling label, Def Jam, and one night in 1984, Ad-Rock ended up hanging out with a rapper on the label, T La Rock, and a DJ who worked with Rubin named Jazzy Jay. A bottle was passed around, and when he took a sip, it was a revelation: This is delicious! Jazzy Jay told him it was Brass Monkey, found on the lower shelves of nearby delis near the cheap wine and malt liquor.