The phrase 'Brass Monkey Weather' refers to very cold weather that is extremely out of the ordinary; cold enough to freeze the tail, nose and ears of a brass monkey.

Indeed, there are two different kinds of Brass Monkeys out there: One is a mixture of malt liquor and orange juice and the other is a premixed cocktail “beverage” produced by the Heublein Company in the '70s up until the '90s, that consisted of orange juice, vodka, and dark rum.

The Brass Monkey is a cocktail made with dark rum, vodka and orange juice, sold as a premixed cocktail in the 1970's and 80's. It was sold by the Heublein Company, which later dissolved in 1998.

In the days when gulf wars had more to do with sailing ships than TV coverage, cannon balls were stacked on the decks in pyramids. The pyramids were held in place by a brass frame around the base, called a "monkey". When it got cold, the brass monkey contracted, and the cannon balls rolled off around the ship's deck.