Rusty Nail Recipe

Before you start

A Rusty Nail combines Scotch whisky with Drambuie, a Scotch-based liqueur sweetened with heather honey and flavored with herbs and spices. The result is warming, honeyed and gently spiced, with the whisky's malt still clearly in front. With only two ingredients, the ratio decides everything: two parts Scotch to one part Drambuie is a common balance, while older recipes used equal parts for a much sweeter drink.

A good blended Scotch is the classic choice because it is smooth and lets the honey and spice show. A heavily peated single malt makes a smoky, more intense drink that some people love. Stir it briefly over a single large cube rather than many small ones, so it chills without turning watery, and finish it with lemon oil to brighten the honey.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (1½ oz) blended Scotch whisky
• 22 ml (¾ oz) Drambuie
• 1 large ice cube — for serving
• 1 strip lemon peel — garnish

Method

1. Place one large ice cube in a rocks glass. A big cube melts slowly, so the drink stays cold without thinning out too much.
2. Pour the Scotch and Drambuie directly over the cube.
3. Stir gently with a bar spoon for 15 to 20 seconds, until the outside of the glass feels cold and the liquid has picked up a little water.
4. Hold the lemon peel over the drink and squeeze it, skin facing down, to spray the oils over the surface. Rub it around the rim and drop it in or discard it.

Tips for success

• Adjust the ratio to your taste. Equal parts make a sweet sipper; 3:1 Scotch to Drambuie makes a drier drink.
• Drambuie has a strong honey flavor, so measure carefully. A small overpour makes the drink cloying.
• If you want the drink colder and more diluted, stir it in a mixing glass with ice first, then strain over the large cube.

Substitutions

Blended Scotch

An Islay single malt adds peat smoke and iodine for a bolder drink. Bourbon makes a sweeter, vanilla-forward version.

Drambuie

Another honey and herb whisky liqueur will work, though sweetness varies. Taste and adjust the amount.

Variations

Smoky Nail

Use 30 ml blended Scotch plus 15 ml peated Islay Scotch with the Drambuie.

Rusty Nail up

Stir with ice in a mixing glass for 25 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe.

Troubleshooting

It tastes too sweet

Move to a 3:1 ratio of Scotch to Drambuie and stir a little longer for extra dilution.

It tastes hot and harsh

It is under-diluted. Stir for an extra 10 seconds, or pre-stir in a mixing glass with ice.

The flavor seems flat

Add the lemon oils. They lift the honey and spice and make the drink taste much fresher.

Storage

Serve right after stirring. Scotch and Drambuie are shelf-stable; store them upright, tightly capped and away from heat and direct light.

Safety notes

Contains about 45 ml of 40% Scotch and 22 ml of 40% Drambuie, roughly 1.5 U.S. standard drinks. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and never drink and drive.