Name: Rusty Nail
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Scotch whisky; 15 ml Honey herbal liqueur; 2 dash Aromatic bitters

Rusty Nail
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Serve in an Old-fashioned glass

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Blended Scotch whisky
¹⁄₂ oz	Honey herbal liqueur (e.g. Drambuie)
2 dash	Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill an Old-fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into ice-filled glass.
EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

The liqueur smooths and wonderfully combines with Scotch whisky. The proportions of Scotch to Drambuie vary wildly and are a matter of taste. However, somewhere around 3:1 appears to be preferred by most.

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Variant:

Rusty Sour
Scottish Gypsy
Tapered Nail

History:

Said to have been created in 1942 at a Hawaiian bar for the artist Theodore Anderson but popularised during the 1950s at New York City's Club 21.

David Wondrich has traced the mixing of scotch whisky with Drambuie liqueur back to 1937 and a drink called B.I.F. for the British Industry Fair. However, given that Drambuie originated in an Edinburgh cellar in 1908 we suspect the combo was first tried decades earlier.

Nutrition:

One serving of Rusty Nail contains 147 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
31.53% alc./vol. (31.53° proof)
19.1 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 comments for Rusty Nail.
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John CARR

3rd February at 13:36

Certainly very pleasant, anda Bona fide classic, but I can see how turning this into a sour is going to improve it. The intense sweetness of the Drambuie is hard to get past, even with increasing the booze and bitters. After a few experiments of both single malts and blended scotches I ended with 4:1 Johnny Walker black and Jerry Thomas bitters for extra tang, but really you could go in almost in direction you please/that your palate takes you.

John CARR

3rd February at 13:39

Nice workout for my new-second hand Krosno whisky glasses too. A very fitting stage to play upon.

eddie richards

22nd January at 18:50

My riff on the Rusty Nail uses one dash of Angostura Bitters and two dashes of Black Walnut Bitters to lend a toasty, nutty complexity that complements the Scotch and sweet liqueur. Rusty Walnut, anyone?

eddie richards

22nd January at 19:06

Rusty Walnut - 45ml Blended Scotch - J&B Rare or Monkey Shoulder, 15ml Drambuie, 1 dash Angostura Bitters, 2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters. Serve in a Gibraltar Glass over a 1 inch ice cube

Alexandros Bousoulegkas

24th April 2024 at 18:24

I recommend to try it by replacing Scotch with Rye. 2:1 Rye:Drambuie +2 dash Angostura Bitters; just perfect!

Chris Dimal

29th March 2023 at 19:39

Did not try the cocktail (no Drambuie available), but what in the world is the picture? How would it be possible to get pink on a Rusty Nail? Hilarious to me!

R. M.

30th June 2023 at 21:43

I am sure that is just lighting. ?

Simon Difford

29th March 2023 at 20:23

We do like to amuse! Obviously, wrong image has replaced the original. Please bear with us. That said, adding bitters will colour, more the wrong glass and garnish that troubles me.

R. M.

5th November 2022 at 20:50

Love Rusty nails.
I have tried this drink with many different types of scotch and found the Dalmore Port Wood the best for the mix. It adds a nice exotic oaky aroma to it.