And, just under the wire, my entry for this month's Mixology Monday (MxMo CXII). This month's theme is Mashups. My idea: combining two classic Scotch cocktails.
The Rob Roy is essentially a Manhattan made with Scotch, marrying it with sweet vermouth and bitters. The Rusty Nail pairs the spirit with Drambuie, the Scotch-based liqueur with strong honey and herbal tones.
The Scotch they have in common would be the obvious base spirit of my mashup, and since the vermouth and Drambuie serve analogous sweetening purposes, I used them both in smaller quantities. In my experiences with Rusty Nails the honey flavor of Drambuie can be excessive, so I went heavy with the bitters and lemon twist that are often finishing components of a Rob Roy, to counter the sweetness and brighten things up. And I added a home-brandied cherry to top it off.
- 2 oz. blended Scotch
- 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1/2 oz. Drambuie
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- lemon twist and brandied cherry garnish
This turned out very palatable, and to me more complex and thus more interesting than either of the classic drinks on which it's based. A gorgeous amber color. I'd be curious to see if bitter Punt e Mes in place of my more neutral Dolin Rouge would make it even more winning, but alas I'm out of Scotch.
