Ingredients

  • 30ml Grant's Scotch Whisky
  • 30ml Drambuie

Process Steps

  1. Pour the whisky and then the Drambuie into a rocks glass over cubed ice
  2. Garnish with a lemon twist

The Rusty Nail is the ideal scotch cocktail. A basic Rusty Nail recipe features Grant's Scotch Whiskey and Drambuie poured into a rocks glass. It is intended to be a classy, slow-sipping drink that is perfect for after dinner. The Rusty Nail cocktail is a scotch throwback to the 1930s post-Prohibition era. After nearly a century since its creation, the drink's popularity has shifted from one of the biggest and most popular cocktails to a mostly forgotten relic.

The Rusty Nail is said to have originated during the 1937 British Industries Fair in New York City, where it was referred to as the B.I.F., after the trade fair. The drink's ingredients and proportions were based on the conventional cocktail recipe of the time, which included a spirit, sweetener (typically vermouth or liqueur) and bitters. The recipe wasn't changed until decades later when Rusty Nail's original blend of spirits, liqueurs, and names began to gain momentum in the industry. By the 1960s, a blend of Scotch whisky and Drambuie had become the industry standard for Rusty Nail. Gina MacKinnon, the chairperson of the Drambuie Liqueur Company, gave her seal of approval to a blended Scotch-based liqueur and "Rusty Nail" was endorsed by MacKinnon as the drink's official name.

One theory is that the cocktail’s name originates from its pale yellow colour, while another claims that early versions of the drink were actually stirred with rusty nails. The Rusty Nail drink is surprisingly sweet and breezy. These flavours, along with heather, citrus and spice make this the perfect cocktail for someone who enjoys sweet drinks.

What are the ingredients for a Rusty Nail?

Listed below are the following ingredients for a Rusty Nail cocktail.

  • 30ml Grant's Scotch Whiskey: Grant's Scotch Whiskey is the world's oldest family-owned blended whiskey, currently sold in over 180 countries. It is based on the Girvan Distillery's Whiskey, which is a lighter and slightly sweeter scotch.
  • 30ml Drambuie: Drambuie is a sweet, gold-coloured liqueur made with Scotch whiskey and flavoured with Scottish heather, honey, herbs and spices. It is made in Scotland and has become a popular drink in bars all around the world.

1. 30ml Grant's Scotch Whisky

Grant's Scotch Whiskey is one of the main ingredients in a Rusty Nail cocktail. It has a light and floral flavour with honey sweetness, a trace of vanilla and a wild smokiness that gives the drink a nice balance between sweet and spicy. Grant's Scotch Whiskey contains around 40% alcohol by volume and 70 calories per serving.

2. 30ml Drambuie

Drambuie is one of the ingredients required to make the Rusty Nail cocktail. It is a sweet and delicious mix of flavours that gives the drink a smooth taste of spiced honey. Drambuie contains around 106 calories and is bottled at 40% alcohol by volume.

How to make a Rusty Nail?

Preparing a Rusty Nail has never been easier thanks to this recipe, so don't miss it and make the most out of your cocktail!

1. Pour the whiskey and then the Drambuie into a rocks glass over cubed ice.
2. Garnish with a lemon twist.

1. Pour the whisky and then the Drambuie into a rocks glass over cubed ice.

Pour the Grant's Scotch Whiskey and Drambuie into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes, then stir thoroughly to combine the ingredients and achieve the desired flavour and texture. This step is necessary as it blends the flavours in a less harsh manner and reduces the quantity of dilution.

2. Garnish with a lemon twist.

To garnish with a lemon twist, cut a slice of lemon and then make a slice through one side of the pulp. Then carefully remove the peel by cutting around the pulp in a circle. Twist the peel with your hands or a long skewer into a curly-q shape. The garnish not only gives aesthetic appeal to the cocktail, but it also adds a citrusy flavour.

What nutritional benefit can you get from drinking a Rusty Nail?

There are no nutritional benefits from drinking a Rusty Nail cocktail. It has an alcohol content of 33% by volume or 66 proof with 147.14 calories per serving.

What are the different variations of Rusty Nail?

There are multiple variations of the classic Rusty Nail cocktail, including Rusty Bob, Rusty Ale, Smokey Nail, Clavo Ahumado, Railroad Spike and Donald Sutherland. To variate a classic Rusty Nail cocktail, the bartender should change some ingredients. The procedure of making a varied Rusty Nail cocktail is just the same as making a classic one. However, instead of using Grant’s Scotch Whiskey, a bartender can use Ron Brugal Extra Viejo to add more depth and spiciness to the drink. Some similar cocktails to the classic Aviation Cocktail are Cowboy Koolaid, Welfare Check, Grateful Dead and Malvika’s Nose.

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