TalkTV: Scottish Drinks for Burns Night

What better way to start your whisky journey is there than to taste a dram or seven this Burns Night! In celebration of the great Scottish Poet Robbie (Rabbie) Burns, we won't; quite be addressing the haggis, but we will be looking at some classic Scottish drinks, from Single Malt Scotch to Scotland’s other national drink: Irn Bru!

Rob Roy Cocktail

A classic, easy-to-make, delicious small cocktails for Scotch newbies and aficionados alike. 

It is said to have got its name when a bar in New York tweaked the classic Manhattan cocktail recipe to use Scotch whisky instead of Bourbon in homage to a new operetta called Rob Roy, that was playing in a theatre nearby. The protagonist of this story was a  Scottish folk hero named Rob Roy MacGregor. Simply pour the Scotch whisky, vermouth and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass or couple and garnish with the cocktail cherry. 

Whisky used: Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Whisky (£17.49 from Aldi.)

Vermouth used: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino (£23.95 from The Whisky Exchange)

Cocktail Maraschino cherries by Hotel Starlino (£9.99 from The Bottle Club)

Ingredients:

50ml Scotch Whisky

25ml Sweet Red Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

1 Speared cocktail cherry

Ne-bru-ni

Joy of joys, here’s a Negroni with a Scottish twist, swapping out the vermouth for the Irn Bru. At least it’s not as strong, so less bad for you, right? Don’t forget to use a classic, Scottish gin for the full Burns Night effect. Add the gin and the aperitif into a shaker with ice and shake hard for a full 30 seconds. Pour over a large cube of ice into a tumbler and top up with Irn Bru. Stir gently and garnish with an orange wheel if you’re feeling fancy. 

Gin used: Hendrick’s Gin (Find at Ocado for £27)

Aperitif used: Campari 

Irn Bru 1901 in a bottle - the original.  (Find at Ocado for £2.55)

Ingredients:

25ml Gin

25ml Bitter Aperitif

25ml Irn Bru

Oban 14 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Finally, we can’t toast Burns NIght without a single dram pof fine Scotch whisky and I;ve gone for an Oban 14. One of my favourite Highland Malt Scotches and a classic example of whisky from the Western Highlands, this tiny distillery uses pot still for small batches and more character. The 14 year old is full-bodied and has aromas and flavours of candied orange peel, heather, honey, a whiff of peat smoke and a slick of sea salt in the finish.

Find it at Ocado for £77.50

Don’t forget to watch The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky, streaming 24/7 on Amazon Prime! 

See more on Scotch whisky in these articles: 12 Top Whiskies to sip this Burns Night

The Best Cocktails to Make with Scotch Whisky

While beautiful taken neat, Scotch needn’t stay lonely in a glass. Don’t shy away from being a bit creative, either, as Scotch is a lot more versatile than you might first think. Whether you’re going for a traditional Whisky Sour or spicing up a Bloody Mary, try Scotch in a cocktail today!

Bloody Scotsman

This classic cocktail is normally made with vodka, but adding Scotch gives it a fiery kick that can tackle the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Don’t forget the all important celery!

Ingredients:
45ml Scotch whisky
90ml tomato juice
15ml lemon juice
1 dash Tabasco
2 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
celery, for garnish

Method:
Add Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to a highball glass. Pour all other ingredients in, add ice and stir. Garnish with a celery stick and enjoy! 

Scotch Sour

The classic we know and love dearly, a Scotch Sour never fails to liven up an evening. If you want to make this vegan, you can either leave out the egg white for a No-Foam Sour, or swap it for a tablespoon and a half of aquafaba (that’s the juice out of a chickpea can!).

Ingredients:
50ml Scotch whisky
25ml fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 egg white
twist of orange, for garnish

Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with no ice and shake. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a twist of orange.

Scotch Paloma

A Paloma probably isn’t the first cocktail you’d jump to when thinking about Scotch - Mexico and Scotland don’t exactly have the same atmosphere. However, swapping out a reposado or añejo tequila for Scotch keeps that same caramel richness while adding an interesting twist to this Mexican classic. If you don’t have spicy honey, regular is fine! 

Ingredients:
35ml Scotch whisky
35ml grapefruit juice
35ml spicy honey
club soda
grapefruit slice, for garnish

Method:
Add all ingredients but club soda to an ice-filled glass and stir. Once chilled, top with soda water and garnish with a grapefruit slice. Enjoy!

Rusty Nail

Don’t worry, you don’t need to search through your medical files to see if you’ve had a tetanus jab to drink this cocktail. This kind of Rusty Nail is the ultimate Scotch cocktail of days gone by. So, pull out that bottle of Drambuie Scotch whisky liqueur and give it a go! 

Ingredients:
60ml Scotch whisky
15ml Drambuie 

Method:
Add all ingredients to an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until well chilled. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and enjoy! 

The Godfather

Named after the iconic 1972 film, The Godfather cocktail adds a welcome bit of Italian flair to a classic Scotch. While the nutty Amaretto slightly softens the whisky, the almond-flavoured liqueur doesn’t take away any of the flavour. This recipe calls for quite exact measurements, but the ratio is really up to you and your personal tastes, so don’t take it by the book. This cocktail is an offer you can’t refuse.

Ingredients:
60ml blended Scotch whisky|
7ml Amaretto

Method:
Add all ingredients to an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until well chilled. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and enjoy! 

Blood & Sand

This cocktail is another Scotch cocktail that has been around for eons, first appearing in 1930! At first, the ingredients might baffle you - orange juice, cherry liqueur AND Scotch - but once you’ve tried it you’ll know what all the fuss is about! Stay away from very smoky Scotches for this recipe, and fresh orange juice is a MUST. 

Ingredients:
20ml Scotch whisky
20ml sweet vermouth
20ml cherry liqueur
20ml freshly squeezed orange juice
twist of orange, for garnish 

Method:
Add all ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with a twist of orange. Enjoy! 

Flying Scotsman

Named after the famous steam train, the Flying Scotsman is a cocktail allegedly served to first-class passengers on the train, which broke the record for the first steam train to reach 100mph! Both simple and delicious, this cocktail will make you feel like a first-class mixologist when you master it.

Ingredients:
50ml Scotch whisky
45ml sweet vermouth
5ml sugar syrup
2 dash Angostura bitters
black cherry, for garnish 

Method:
Stir all ingredients in a cocktail glass with ice. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, preferably over a large ice cube. Garnish with a black cherry. Up, up and away!

For more cocktail inspiration be it gin, vodka, tequila or whisk(e)y click here!