Rusty Nail
Origin
21 Club, New York · 1937
Drambuie-and-Scotch combination first appears in 1937 as the 'B.I.F.' (after the British Industries Fair); it cycled through several names (D&S, Little Club No. 1) before being popularized under the name Rusty Nail at the 21 Club in the 1950s and adopted by the Rat Pack.
A two-ingredient Scottish nightcap — blended scotch sweetened by its own honeyed, herbal liqueur.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Scotch
- 1 oz Drambuie
- Lemon peel
Instructions
- Add scotch and Drambuie to a rocks glass.
- Fill with fresh ice.
- Stir briefly to chill and combine.
- Express a lemon peel over the drink and drop it in.
Tips
- A blended scotch (Famous Grouse, Monkey Shoulder) is traditional; a peated single malt makes it more interesting.
- The 2:1 ratio is canonical — go 3:1 if your scotch can carry the weight.
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