Many of you may not have come across The Rusty Nail in your cocktail explorations. However, the drink, which was popularized in the 1950s in New York, has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years.
So, in the interest of reviving (or perhaps igniting) your love for The Rusty Nail, here are five scotch whiskies that create perfect honeyed harmony in this simple concoction.
How To Make A Rusty Nail Cocktail
The recipe for The Rusty Nail is very simple to follow:
You can go 1:1 with Drambuie and blended whisky. Or you can go 2:1, leaning a little heavier on the whisky side of it. We’re going to lean on the heavier pours for our recommendations below, but please see the process below in order to make the drink.
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Recipe:
- 2oz of whisky of your choice.
- 1oz of Drambuie. (Use more or less depending on your love of sweetness) – Lemon peel or wedge for garnish
Method:
- You can build this in a glass or a mixing jug, but for the sake of ease, let’s build it in the glass. Fill your glass of choice with ice and pour the whisky and Drambuie into the glass.
- Stir the contents until the ice starts to loosen and the glass becomes a condensate.
- Spray the oils of a lemon peel into the glass and throw them into the drink. Or garnish with a wedge of lemon.
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old
BUY NOW: $25
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This Aberfeldy single malt is the definition of a sweet, approachable, and easy-drinking style of highland whisky. If you’re a fan of honey, then this mixed with some Drambuie is going to be a full sensory explosion through a beehive. Balancing it out with the lemon peel in your Rusty Nail cocktail will add some lightness to the rich, opulent honey notes that push through.
Caol Ila 12 Year Old
BUY NOW: $59.99
When it comes to all things smoky then you can go as peaty as you want, but I think with a drink like this you want a decent level of balance, with not too much sweetness from things like sherry casks, etc.
Caol Ila does have peatiness to it, but it always comes across as a little sweeter and creamier than some of its Islay counterparts. I’m not saying this wouldn’t be a fun drink with some Laphroaig in it, but that’s by the by.
The honeyed quality of the Drambuie with this softer type of Islay smoke could be a perfect combination for a Smoky Nail, which is more commonly made by putting mescal into the mix.
Highland Park 15 Year Old
BUY NOW: $83.52
We can’t talk about honey notes and not bring in the classic Orkney style of Highland Park. I’m not going for the 12 Year Old. That would work, but I think that for our Rusty Nail cocktail, we want something with a little more complexity to it, enter Highland Park 15 Year Old!
This whisky is already layered with honey, coffee, and dark chocolate notes. However, the addition of what is essentially boozy sugar syrup in Drambuie can take this whole cocktail to a different level.
Even though we’re using an older, peated whisky, this combination of flavors should send us straight into dessert trolley heaven, with a twang of culinary smoke to boot.
Loch Lomond 14 Year Old
BUY NOW: $69.99
I’ve spoken about this whisky so much in the past that it seems that I may as well attach it to every article I write. But I tried this out last night and thought it was a rather outstanding drink that should be on everyone’s lips at least once.
Loch Lomond 14 Year Old is an oddity as it tastes gently smoky without having any actual peat within the liquid itself. The finishing process that takes place in some heavily charred French oak from Limousin really takes you on a flavor adventure here.
The whisky starts off with some soft sweetness, almost toffee-like, the longer you hold it on your pallet it takes you from sweet to savory, to spicy, back to sweet, and then it finishes with this wonderfully delicate smoke.
he addition of Drambuie to this amplified the sweetness and texture, but still allowed that little glimpse of smoke to come through. This Rusty Nail cocktail has complexity like you wouldn’t believe.
Oban 14 Year Old/Oban Distiller’s Edition
I feel like Oban doesn’t really get spoken about enough. Yes, there have been some rather significant price increases – but that hasn’t impacted the brand’s selling power.
Oban is a whisky that says it can do everything, and it does, kind of. It’s always reminded me of apples, malt biscuits, and chocolate. Even though there is some smoke to it, it isn’t the leading profile of the liquid.
Then we get onto the Distiller’s Edition which, no matter what vintage, constantly just smells of peach. I’ve no idea why and how a Fino sherry finished Oban smells like peaches, but I like it and would wear it as perfume if I could.
The addition of all of these things, with a relatively lower ABV and intensity of flavors compared to some of the others on this list provide for quite the healthy dessert alternative.
Peaches, honey, oak spice, malty biscuits, and chocolate all world their way into providing you with this wonderful boozy hug of a Rusty Nail cocktail.
The History of The Rusty Nail Cocktail
The Rusty Nail cocktail, a classic Scottish-inspired drink, emerged in the mid-20th century, combining scotch whisky with Drambuie, a liqueur made from whisky, honey, herbs, and spices. The origins of the Rusty Nail are somewhat contested, with some attributing its creation to the 1937 British Industries Fair in New York, where it was allegedly served to celebrate Scottish exports. It is also said that The Rusty Nail was created in a Hawaiian bar in 1942.
The drink gained widespread popularity in the 1950s and 60s, thanks in part to its adoption by the Rat Pack, including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
The cocktail’s name is said to derive from its strong, robust character, evoking the image of something as sturdy as a rusty nail. Over time, it has become a symbol of sophistication and simplicity, celebrated for its smooth, slightly sweet, and herbal notes, perfectly balancing the boldness of scotch with the sweetness of Drambuie.
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