Are you a Discerning Drinker?
Join thousands of like-minded professionals and cocktail enthusiasts, receive our weekly newsletters and see pages produced by our community for fellow Discerning Drinkers.
Forum
Rob Roy Cocktail
Scotch whisky's answer to the Manhattan. The Rob Roy is classically made with Angostura Bitters, but in his 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, as a footnote...
Aaron Ginn
13th August at 01:23
Monkey Shoulder with Carpano Antica. Add a couple of dashes of Ango bitters and garnish with a Luxardo cherry. This has become my cocktail of choice.
4th August 2024 at 20:56
If you have never had a Rob Roy with a Spanish style sweet vermouth then I highly recommend you try it. Monkey Shoulder blended Scotch and Lustau Vermut go so well together.
27th June 2024 at 13:30
Ran a side by side by comparison of carpano and Dolin rouge as the vermouth here. The subtlety of the Dolin was hands down winner for me. Used a single malt and abbots bitters.
16th June 2024 at 09:59
Made my Rob with a Brown butter washed Johnny Walker Black and Carpano Antico Formula. Thinking about a second before I’ve finished half the first.
13th August at 01:42
The vermouth really makes this drink. You can use any blended scotch, but if you use a quality vermouth like CA you have a winner.
4th June 2024 at 14:00
After a few experiments made exactly as described, Johnny Walker black and Dolin rouge. Added a dash of orange bitters also. Really very good.
29th November 2023 at 01:37
Made with half Dolin Rouge and half Punt e Mes, which I think cuts the sweetness a bit, and generous Peychaud's Bitters because I have no Abbotts. The last 2oz from a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. It's very nice and perfect on a cold fall evening in front of the fire.
29th October 2023 at 03:00
My first Rob Roy with Glenfiddich 12. Great cocktail. Spicier than I expected.
16th August 2023 at 19:26
Simply, it’s a great drink.
2nd May 2023 at 03:46
Perfect for an evening sipper. Did use half rosso vermouth and half dry vermouth. Slightly changed the final cocktail, but it was not quite as sweet.
16th April 2023 at 13:54
David Wondrich found a reference to a Rob Roy Cocktail in a newspaper article from 1873.
"The Rob Roy cocktail is made with a little gum syrup, two dashes of Angostura, a few drops of oychette cordial [orgeat], in a tumbler filled with fine ice, strained." - New York Sun - 22nd August 1873. Too bad this reference forgot to include a base spirit, but it's probably safe to assume Scotch.
"The Rob Roy cocktail is made with a little gum syrup, two dashes of Angostura, a few drops of oychette cordial [orgeat], in a tumbler filled with fine ice, strained." - New York Sun - 22nd August 1873. Too bad this reference forgot to include a base spirit, but it's probably safe to assume Scotch.
17th April 2023 at 10:31
Now back at my desk, I've found earlier Rob Roys and so I have substantially updated the above. Many thanks for your help, Stephen.
15th April 2023 at 10:15
I just found an older version of the the Rob Roy in the 1889 book "Drinks: how to mix and how to serve"
Rob Roy Cocktail
2 dashes gum syrup
1/2 jigger apple brandy
1/2 vermouth
Stir; strain into cocktail glass and serve
Rob Roy Cocktail
2 dashes gum syrup
1/2 jigger apple brandy
1/2 vermouth
Stir; strain into cocktail glass and serve
16th April 2023 at 08:19
Many thanks Stephen, I've added the quote from your link above. I'm now on a quest to find the earliest Rob Roy recipe based on Scotch. And indeed the latest reference to a Rob Roy based on another spirit.
15th April 2023 at 20:16
Simon. Here's the link to where I found it. https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.12104/page/78/mode/1up?q=%22Rob+Roy+Cocktail%22
28th July 2022 at 04:38
I tried one with Bogart's Bitters today. Worked very well for this I thought.
23rd December 2021 at 07:17
Good and easy to drink, but I think I would prefer Carpano Antica instead of Dolin Rouge next time. I did one dash aromatic bitters and one dash creole, should be more generous next time.
1st September 2020 at 19:06
I used Ardbeg 5yo (wee bestie) and famously smokey and salt flavour. Next time i try petite serve ( 45ml whisky, 15ml rosso sweet and maybe some dash maraskino liquid from jar for little bit sweeter taste, and last but not least :-D 2dash aromatic bitters, ideal garnish with maraskino cherry on stick)