Rusty nail (cocktail)

Last updated
Rusty nail
IBA official cocktail
Rusty Nail a cocktail by @tokenchick13 (16503594826).jpg
The Rusty nail
Type Cocktail
Base spirit
Served On the rocks: poured over ice
Standard garnishOrange peel (optional) [lower-alpha 1]
Standard drinkware
Old Fashioned Glass.svg
Old fashioned glass
IBA specified
ingredients†
PreparationPour all ingredients directly into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Stir gently.
Commonly servedAfter dinner
Rusty nail recipe at International Bartenders Association

A rusty nail is a cocktail made by mixing Scotch whisky with Drambuie in a 1:1 to 2:1 ratio. A rusty nail is most commonly served on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass (a.k.a. a rocks glass), although it can also be served "up" in a stemmed glass. Its origin goes back to the 1937 British Industries Fair, but it did not become popular until the 1950s endorsement by New York's Club 21 and its recognition by popular culture as the go-to cocktail of the Rat Pack a decade later. [1]

Contents

Variations

Variations of the drink can be made using any aged spirit with the Drambuie (its one essential ingredient), [2] although using blended Scotch whisky in a 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 ratio is traditional. [3] [4] The addition of additional Drambuie tends to sweeten the cocktail. [5] [6] The cocktail can be garnished with a twist of citrus, usually orange, that will enhance the acidity and flavor. [7]

Other variations include:

History

According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, "...the Rusty Nail took a while to find its proper place in the world". The combination of Drambuie—"the world's most distinguished Scotch-based liqueur"—and the whisky it is made from first appears in 1937 in the form of the B.I.F., credited to one F. Benniman and ostensibly named after the British Industries Fair. [4] Wondrich goes on to note that. "it took another generation or so for the drink to assume its classic name and form, during which time it tried on several identities. Here it's a D&S...there a Little Club No. 1 (the Little Club being a rather swank sort of joint on East Fifty-fifth Street much haunted by showbiz types); at USAF Officers' Clubs in Thailand and the Republic of Viet-Nam,[ sic ] it's a Mig-21, while in the upper Midwest it's a Knucklehead." [4]

The cocktail authority Dale DeGroff said "the Rusty Nail is often credited to the clever bartenders at the 21 Club in Manhattan sometime in the early 1960s" [2] [3] The cocktail's name was finally cemented in 1963, when Gina MacKinnon, the chairwoman of the Drambuie Liqueur Company, gave the rusty nail her endorsement in The New York Times . [3] [9] DeGroff reported that in the early 1960s "...the Rat Pack was enamored of the drink, which may have been responsible for the wide appeal in those years..." [3]

Notes

  1. IBA calls for lemon zest

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocktail</span> Combination of spirits and alcohol

A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, shrubs, and bitters. Cocktails vary widely across regions of the world, and many websites publish both original recipes and their own interpretations of older and more famous cocktails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan (cocktail)</span> Cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters

A Manhattan is a cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. While rye is the traditional whiskey of choice, other commonly used whiskies include Canadian whisky, bourbon, blended whiskey, and Tennessee whiskey. The cocktail is usually stirred with ice then strained into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished traditionally with a maraschino cherry. A Manhattan may also be served on the rocks in a lowball glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margarita</span> Mexican cocktail of tequila and orange liqueur

A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice, without ice, or blended with ice. Most bars serve margaritas in a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe called a margarita glass. The margarita is one of the world's most popular cocktails and the most popular tequila-based cocktail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream liqueur</span> Liqueur containing cream

A cream liqueur is a liqueur that includes dairy cream and a generally flavourful liquor among its ingredients.

Apéritifs and digestifs are drinks, typically alcoholic, that are normally served before (apéritif) or after (digestif) a meal respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stinger (cocktail)</span> Cocktail made from crème de menthe and brandy

A stinger is a duo cocktail made by adding crème de menthe to brandy. The cocktail's origins can be traced to the United States in the 1890s, and the beverage remained widely popular in America until the 1970s. It was seen as a drink of the upper class, and has had a somewhat wide cultural impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drambuie</span> Sweet, golden coloured liqueur made from Scotch whisky

Drambuie is a golden-coloured, 40% ABV liqueur made from Scotch whisky, heather honey, herbs and spices. The brand was owned by the MacKinnon family for 100 years, and was bought by William Grant & Sons in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liqueur coffee</span> Coffee-based cocktail

A liqueur coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink that consists of a shot of liqueur, mixed with coffee. It is typically served in a liqueur glass, often accompanied with cream and sugar. Coffee liqueur beverages are served in different fashions and can be found throughout many countries. One of the most popular liqueur coffee beverage is commonly known as Irish coffee. Liqueur coffee beverages are largely classified as cocktails as well as digestifs which are aimed at aiding the digestive process typically after a meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartending terminology</span> Terms used in drinking culture and bartending

Various unique terminology is used in bartending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shooter (drink)</span> Mixed drink

A shooter, or shot, is a small serving of spirits or a mixed drink, typically consumed quickly, often in a single gulp. It is common to serve a shooter as a "side" to a larger drink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godfather (cocktail)</span> Cocktail made of scotch and amaretto

The Godfather is a duo mixed drink made of Scotch whisky and amaretto. Typically, the drink is served with ice in an old fashioned glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fizz (cocktail)</span> Type of carbonated alcoholic mixed drinks

A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice and carbonated water. It typically includes gin or rum as its alcoholic ingredient.

Irish Mist is an Irish whiskey-based liqueur produced in Tullamore, Ireland, by the Irish Mist Liqueur Company Ltd. In September 2010 it was announced that the brand was being bought by Gruppo Campari from William Grant, only a few months after Grants had bought it from the C&C Group. It is made from aged Irish whiskey, heather and clover honey, aromatic herbs, and other spirits, blended to an ancient recipe claimed to be 1,000 years old. Though it was once 40% alcohol per volume, Irish Mist is now 35%. The bottle shape has also been changed from a "decanter" style to a more traditional whiskey bottle shape. It is currently available in more than 40 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Burns (drink)</span> Whiskey cocktail

The Bobby Burns is a whisky cocktail composed of scotch, vermouth and Bénédictine liqueur. It is served in a 4.5 US fl oz cocktail glass.

A whisky Macdonald, more commonly known under the shortened name whisky Mac, is a cocktail made up of whisky and ginger wine. The whisky is expected to be a Scotch whisky, usually a blended type. The ginger wine should be green ginger wine. Recipes vary from those having equal parts of each ingredient to those that use a ratio of 3 to 2 of whisky to wine.

Maple liqueur refers to various alcoholic products made from maple syrup, primarily in the Northeast United States and Canada. It is most commonly made by mixing Canadian rye whiskey and Canadian maple syrup. Maple liqueur is considered an important cultural beverage in certain Canadian festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey cocktail</span> Variety of cocktails made with whiskey

A whiskey cocktail is a cocktail that includes whiskey. Although whiskey is often served neat or on the rocks, it is used in many classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and Julep. Some specifically call for Scotch whisky or bourbon whiskey.

References

  1. Carlo DeVito, ed. (2016). The New Single Malt Whiskey. Cider Mill Press. p. 69. ISBN   9781604336474.
  2. 1 2 Essential Whisky Cocktail: Rusty Nail; The Whisky Advocate online; accessed February 2023
  3. 1 2 3 4 Degroff, Dale. "Behind the Bar: The Rusty Nail". Liquor.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013. ...'Old Mister Boston' calls for a one-to-one ratio...
  4. 1 2 3 Wondrich, David. "Rusty Nail". Esquire . Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013. ...The quantities here are a rough ratio ... Half and half is too sweet for us, but some folks swear by it...
  5. 1 2 Hillibish, Jim (August 19, 2010). "Highland Fling: Drambuie isn't just for after dinner". Canton Repository . Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2012. ...the blending of 1 part Drambuie to 1 part Scotch counterbalances the Scotch flavor...
  6. "Rusty Nail recipe". Drinks Mixer. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Rusty Compass; Liquor.com article; accessed February 2023
  8. Caporale, Anthony (July 9, 2013). "Tales of the Cocktail: Cocktails Made with Drambuie". Good Morning New Orleans. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  9. "Rusty Nail". Liquor and Drink. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)