the three drinkers do scotch whisky

TalkTV: Scottish Drinks for Burns Night

burns night cocktails by the three drinkers

What better way to start your whisky journey is there than to taste a dram or seven this Burns Night! In celebration of the great Scottish Poet Robbie (Rabbie) Burns, we won't; quite be addressing the haggis, but we will be looking at some classic Scottish drinks, from Single Malt Scotch to Scotland’s other national drink: Irn Bru!

Rob Roy Cocktail

rob roy cocktail the three drinkers

A classic, easy-to-make, delicious small cocktails for Scotch newbies and aficionados alike. 

It is said to have got its name when a bar in New York tweaked the classic Manhattan cocktail recipe to use Scotch whisky instead of Bourbon in homage to a new operetta called Rob Roy, that was playing in a theatre nearby. The protagonist of this story was a  Scottish folk hero named Rob Roy MacGregor. Simply pour the Scotch whisky, vermouth and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass or couple and garnish with the cocktail cherry. 

Whisky used: Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Whisky (£17.49 from Aldi.)

Vermouth used: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino (£23.95 from The Whisky Exchange)

Cocktail Maraschino cherries by Hotel Starlino (£9.99 from The Bottle Club)

Ingredients:

50ml Scotch Whisky

25ml Sweet Red Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

1 Speared cocktail cherry

Ne-bru-ni

Joy of joys, here’s a Negroni with a Scottish twist, swapping out the vermouth for the Irn Bru. At least it’s not as strong, so less bad for you, right? Don’t forget to use a classic, Scottish gin for the full Burns Night effect. Add the gin and the aperitif into a shaker with ice and shake hard for a full 30 seconds. Pour over a large cube of ice into a tumbler and top up with Irn Bru. Stir gently and garnish with an orange wheel if you’re feeling fancy. 

Gin used: Hendrick’s Gin (Find at Ocado for £27)

Aperitif used: Campari 

Irn Bru 1901 in a bottle - the original.  (Find at Ocado for £2.55)

Ingredients:

25ml Gin

25ml Bitter Aperitif

25ml Irn Bru

Oban 14 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

oban 14 whisky the three drinkers

Finally, we can’t toast Burns NIght without a single dram pof fine Scotch whisky and I;ve gone for an Oban 14. One of my favourite Highland Malt Scotches and a classic example of whisky from the Western Highlands, this tiny distillery uses pot still for small batches and more character. The 14 year old is full-bodied and has aromas and flavours of candied orange peel, heather, honey, a whiff of peat smoke and a slick of sea salt in the finish.

Find it at Ocado for £77.50

Don’t forget to watch The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky, streaming 24/7 on Amazon Prime! 

See more on Scotch whisky in these articles: 12 Top Whiskies to sip this Burns Night