Name: Improved Scotch Cocktail
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Scotch whisky; 7.5 ml Honey herbal liqueur; 5 ml Peated malt whisky; 2 dash Orange bitters; 8 drop Boker's bitters; 2 drop Saline solution 4:1

Improved Scotch Cocktail
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Glass:

Serve in an Old-fashioned glass

Ingredients:
2 oz	Blended Scotch whisky
¹⁄₄ oz	Honey herbal liqueur (e.g. Drambuie)
¹⁄₆ oz	Torabhaig Peated Single Malt Whisky
2 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura
8 drop	Boker's bitters
2 drop	Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.

How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice).

Garnish:

EXPRESS orange 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

Improved Scotch Cocktail lifestyle image

Improved Scotch Cocktail lifestyle thumbnail

Review:

A tad heavier on the 'improving' liqueur element than some other Improved Scotch Cocktails, but this is balanced by doses of bitters, and a little richness certainly improves this otherwise austere Scotch Old Fashioned.

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History:

Recipe created in October 2025 by yours truly.

More cocktails by Simon Difford

Nutrition:

One serving of Improved Scotch Cocktail contains 168 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
31.71% alc./vol. (63.43° proof)
23.3 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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Andy Parnell-Hopkinson

7th December at 21:31

I had to add a dash more Drambuie before it registered. Nice Scotch old fashioned.

John Hinojos

7th December at 04:52

WOW. Improved it is. The two Scotch Whiskys adds various flavours along with the Drambuie. Sweetness is perfect (and I prefer my cocktails on the dry side). Orange bitters comes through as well as the spices of the Boker's bitters.
I love this. Perfect in the evening. Going onto my favourites.
Thank you, Simon, for another wonderful Whisky cocktail.

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