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