Rob Roy Recipe
The Rob Roy is a Manhattan dressed in tartan: blended Scotch, sweet vermouth and a whisper of bitters, stirred cold and served up with a lemon twist. Rich, warming and ready in under five minutes, it is the easiest way to make Scotch feel like a cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 ozblended Scotch whisky
- 1 ozsweet vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura bitters
- 1lemon twist, for garnish
Garnish
- Lemon twist
- Brandied cherry (optional)
Equipment: Mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, strainer, channel knife or peeler, chilled coupe
Method
- Chill a coupe in the freezer or fill it with ice water while you build the drink.
- Add the blended Scotch, sweet vermouth and bitters to a mixing glass filled two-thirds with fresh ice.
- Stir steadily for 20 to 30 seconds until the outside of the glass is frosted and the drink is properly diluted.
- Empty the coupe, then strain the cocktail into it.
- Express the lemon twist over the surface, rub it around the rim and drop it in. Add a brandied cherry if you like.
About the Rob Roy
The Rob Roy was created in 1894 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, where bartender John Graham named it for the Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor, whose operetta was then packing houses on Broadway. It is essentially a Manhattan built on Scotch, and it caught on fast with drinkers who wanted the whiskey cocktail format with a smokier, maltier backbone.
Nailing it comes down to two choices: the Scotch and the vermouth. A blended Scotch keeps the drink balanced and approachable, while a sweet vermouth with real body stands up to the whisky instead of disappearing behind it. Stir, do not shake, so the cocktail stays clear and silky, and taste before you serve. If the vermouth has been open on the shelf for months, reach for a fresh bottle; it is the most common reason a Rob Roy falls flat.
- Use a quality sweet vermouth and refrigerate it after opening; it fades within a few weeks.
- Stir for a full 20 to 30 seconds to chill and dilute properly; shaking clouds the drink.
- For a smokier version, swap in a peated or heavily sherried Scotch and reduce the vermouth slightly.
- Serve in a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass to keep the drink cold without extra dilution.
Get the bottles delivered
Order online for same-day or next-day Long Island delivery, free curbside pickup in Commack, or nationwide shipping where it is legal. You must be 21 or older.
