.jpg) Rusty nail | |
| Type | Cocktail |
|---|---|
| Ingredients |
|
| Base spirit | Scotch whisky,Drambuie |
| Standard drinkware | Old fashioned glass |
| Standard garnish | Orange peel (optional)[a] |
| Served | On the rocks: poured over ice |
| Preparation | Pour all ingredients directly into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Stir gently. |
Arusty nail is acocktail made by mixingScotch whisky withDrambuie in a ratio ranging from 1:1 to 2:1. It is typically servedon the rocks in anold-fashioned glass (also known as a rocks glass), though it can be served "up" in astemmed glass. The cocktail's origin goes back to the 1937 British Industries Fair, but it gained widespread popularity in the 1950s after being endorsed by New York's21 Club. Its prominence grew further a decade later when it became the go-to cocktail of theRat Pack.[1]
Variations of the drink can be made using any agedspirit with theDrambuie (its one essential ingredient),[2] although using blendedScotch 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:
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); atUSAF 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 authorityDale DeGroff said "the Rusty Nail is often credited to the clever bartenders at the21 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 inThe 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]
...'Old Mister Boston' calls for a one-to-one ratio...
...The quantities here are a rough ratio ... Half and half is too sweet for us, but some folks swear by it...
...the blending of 1 part Drambuie to 1 part Scotch counterbalances the Scotch flavor...