5 of The Best Scotch Whisky Cocktails to drink right now

As we raise a toast to Robert Burns this January 25th, our friends at drinks retailer Bottle Club have compiled their most popular Scotch whisky cocktail recipes to celebrate Burns Night in style. Here’s what they picked out...

Whisky is often enjoyed neat or on the rocks, but cocktails aren’t just for Gin, Rum or Vodka. With a breadth of flavour combinations, and with Burns Night just around the corner, it’s time to make whisky the star of your cocktail bar. There are plenty of flavours to explore that will tickle your taste buds, even if whisky is not yet your go-to tipple.

Popular Scotch Whisky Cocktails

The Robert Burns Cocktail

It is a Scottish tradition to celebrate the poet Robert Burns' birthday on January 25th every year, and whether this drink was named for him or not, it is a fantastic choice for the evening's libation.

The Robert Burns is a classic cocktail that pays tribute to two of Scotland’s finest exports. The drink itself is a delightful, sophisticated mix that builds on the scotch-vermouth combination of a Rob Roy, but the addition of absinthe brings in an intriguing contrasting flavour. Be sure to keep the absinthe to a dash however as it can easily overpower the drink. 

If Absinthe is a bit too much for your taste, there is a variation called the Bobby Burns which swaps the Absinthe for Bénédictine. 

Ingredients:

• 60ml Scotch Whisky (Team 3D recommend Johnnie Walker Black Label)

• 25ml Sweet Vermouth 

• Dash Orange Bitters

• Dash Absinthe 

Method:
Add ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, then stir well and strain into a tumbler. Ice and orange twist optional. 

Rusty Nail Cocktail

The Rusty Nail is the ultimate Scotch whisky cocktail. It's a very simple mix of Scotch and Drambuie served on the rocks. This is designed to be a sophisticated, slow-sipping drink, and it's excellent after dinner.

Feel free to choose either blended or single malts, exploring various brands and going as top-shelf as you wish. You may also want to adjust the ratio of the two spirits to fit your taste. 

Ingredients:

• 45ml Scotch Whisky (Team 3D recommens this GoT Clynelish)

• 25ml Drambuie

Method:
Simply combine the liquids into a mixing glass and stir well before pouring over ice into a tumbler. 

The Rob Roy 

The Rob Roy cocktail was named after an operetta that narrated the story of a great Scottish folk hero who supported the poor. It’s a Scotch version of the classic Manhattan cocktail as the Rob Roy replaces bourbon or rye whisky with Scotch. The Rob Roy ingredients are also similar to that of a classic Old Fashioned, but the Rob Roy recipe uses sweet vermouth instead of sugar syrup for a richer flavour. It is best served by putting the cocktail glass in the freezer to ensure the Rob Roy stays cold as the drink is served without ice. Stirring a Rob Roy cocktail rather than shaking is critical in delicate cocktails with few ingredients, so not to over dilute the drink.

Ingredients:

• 60ml Scotch Whisky (Team 3D recommend Jura ‘Journey’ malt whisky)

• 25ml Sweet Vermouth

• Dash Angostura Bitters

• Cherry (Garnish) 

Method:
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice (minus the garnish) and stir well before straining into a cold Nick and Nora or Martini glass. Garnish with a cherry. 

Hot Toddy

A good Hot Toddy has been said to jump-start mornings, cure colds and play furnace on a cold evening. Many people believe that its first use was as a medicinal aid, as alcohol was known to numb pain, while citrus and sugar (or honey) could soothe a sore throat.

This recipe comes from San Francisco bartender Jacques Bezuidenhout and features your choice of whisky, hot water, demerara sugar and a clove-studded lemon peel. Fortunately, the Hot Toddy is very easy to make. 

Ingredients:

• 4 Cloves

• 1 Lemon Peel 

• 2 Tsp Demerara Sugar

• 8ml  Lemon Juice 

• 60ml Whisky  (Team 3D recommend Johnnie Walker Black Label)

Method:
Grab your favourite mug and heat it with some boiling water. After a minute or two, throw away the water and build your drink in the same mug by combining your spirit with sugar, lemon juice and peel, cloves and more hot water.

Ruby Queen Cocktail

The Ruby Queen recipe was developed by Rob Krueger of Extra Fancy in New York City and although it includes a couple of unusual ingredients, it is quite easy to mix up. You will need to prepare or acquire fresh beetroot juice and take a few minutes to make a fresh honey syrup.

It’s a pleasant surprise when you taste just how well Scotch works against this sweetened vegetable juice. The whisky adds a depth that vodka and gin cannot. It will rival any Bloody Mary you have ever had. 

Ingredients:

• 45ml Scotch Whisky (Team 3D recommend The Dalmore 12 Year old)

• 30ml Fresh Red Beetroot Juice

• 25ml  Honey Syrup 

• 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice

• Fresh Dill or Tarragon (Garnish) 

• Lemon Twist (Garnish) 

Method:
Combine everything except the garnish into a shaker with ice, shake for 30 seconds, then strain and pour into all tall, high-ball style glass. pour and shake like any other drink and you will have a savoury drink that will rival any Bloody Mary.

Fancy checking out some other cocktail recipes? Here are our One Drink, Three Ways Gin and Rum recipes!

One Drink, Three Ways: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, The Three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

---

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino: THE go-to vermouth of choice for mixologists and drinks enthusiasts alike. Hailing from Piedmont in Northeastern Italy, this top-of-the-range vermouth has a unique and much-loved character thanks to a recipe dating back to 1891, which includes Moscato wine, bittersweet herbs and aromatic spices such as wormwood, rhubarb and citrus. Also known fondly as Cocchi Torino, this distinctive and delicious vermouth lends itself to all the definitive cocktails such as the Negroni, The Manhattan, The Americano and Martini, though it makes some staggeringly good twists on these classics.

The Three Drinkers each share their favourite ways to taste it….

---

Helena’s Choice: Bloody Negroni

---

I love a Negroni with a little more sweetness than some so for me, the red fruit flavours from the Chambord and cherry bitters together with the aromatics from the Shiraz Gin really elevate this Negroni and make it super-approachable. Maraschino cherries are also back in a big way, so if you have some, pop one on a stick and maybe, if no one's looking, pour in a dash of the syrup too. Naughty but so nice!

Bloody Negroni

Recipe

25ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

25ml Gin (I love Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin)

15ml Campari

10ml Chambord

2 Dashes of cherry bitters

Garnish: Maraschino cherry on a stick

Glassware: Tumbler

Method: This is such a simple cocktail, which is partly why I love it. Combine all the elements (bar the cherries) into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain and pour over a large, single chunk of ice into a tumbler. Garnish with your cherry on a stick.

---

Aidy’s Choice: Classic Negroni

---

Negroni’s are loved for a reason, they are simple to make, and done right they taste bloody fantastic. A great vermouth and gin are what bind this together so perfectly, so make sure you choose something quality-driven like the below. Make this at your next gathering with family or friends and you’ll impress the hell out of everyone you’re with!

Classic Negroni

Recipe

25ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

25ml London Dry Gin

25ml Campari

Garnish: orange peel

Method: Making the Classic Negroni couldn’t be easier: pour the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes, stir, stir and stir some more and then garnish with the orange peel.

---

Colin’s Choice: Twist on a Spritz

---

Cocchi is an old time favourite of mine and I like it with minimal intervention to really let those herbaceous, bitter flavours shine. This refreshing spritz, with its lower alcohol content than many a highball, is a perfect aperitif to reset your palate. Every Friday should start with these!

Twist on a Spritz

Recipe

50ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

100ml Tonic water (I love Franklin & Sons Rosemary and Black Olive)

Garnish: Rosemary sprig

Glassware: White wine glass

Method: Add your Cocchi to the wine glass over crushed ice, pour in your tonic to taste (I’d suggest 2 parts tonic to 1 part vermouth) and garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary. Perfect for any time of year!

UK
ABV: 16%
Size: 750ml
Buy it now for £23

Holiday Spritz Cocktail

 Ingredients:
25ml Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
120ml Champagne
1 Sugar Cube
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

 Method
Soak the sugar cube in bitters, drop into the glass, add cognac and top with Champagne. Finally, garnish with a lemon swathe. Glass: Coupe.

Fancy trying your hand at some more cocktails? Then, make sure you check out our White Russian and Apple Pie cocktails. If you don’t fancy making your own here are some must-try delicious pre-made cocktails.

5 Brilliant Bottled Cocktails to Try this Christmas

Bottled cocktails are tipped to be the big winners this rather strange festive season and we have seen a plethora of RTD cocktail companies spring up, some good and some… not so good. The perfect pre-made cocktail should be able to be served quickly and easily by anyone, yet still have the quality and consistency that you would expect from a professional mixologist. Here are five companies that should be on your radar, each offering quite a different experience. They make great ideas for gifts as well as spicing up your own festive times. Cheers!

NIO Cocktails: Cocktails Through your Letterbox

NIO cocktail’s founders Luca and Alessandro brought in professional mixologist Patrick Pistolesi to help create a menu of sixteen delicious cocktails ranging from the classics to signature house fusions. They even have two alcohol free cocktails! The beauty of these is that they come in sleek envelopes within a box that fits through your letterbox. Each cocktail is packaged in its own uniquely-designed sleeve, so you can line them up on your shelf with your record collection! Their cocktail boxes are designed to hold 3, 6, or 9 cocktails, so you can pick your own choices from the menu to add to the box too. Simply shake the sleeve, pinch and tear off the corner, and pour over Ice.

Try the delicious Milano Torino, Winter Sidecar or the Gimlet particularly but there are many others to choose from.

Gift idea: Nio Cocktails x GQ box
Find here: Prices starting from £22.50 for 3

Tom Savano: Travel-inspired cocktails

Tom Savano bottled cocktails are making a name for themselves very quickly thanks to their founder, James Kerslake’s passion for flavour and authentic ingredients. Only using small-batch, artisanal spirits from around the world, James’ ethos is to deliberately avoid the big distilleries and instead, choose smaller, regional distilleries that can tell a good story. As he puts it, “When I sip a margarita, I want to feel like I'm on a Rancho at the end of a long day of agave harvesting, the smell of earth, smoke and Mezcal in the air. That’s what Tom Savano is about.”

Beautifully packaged in two-serving and five-serving bottles, these cocktails look as good as they taste. Try the Single Estate Reposado Margarita or the Kentucky Winter Old Fashioned for the festive season particularly, but all of them rock, to be honest. Get 15% off your first order on their website. 

Find here: Prices start from £12

LAIBA: Cocktail Tasting Set

Welcome to Asia's first artisanal bottled cocktail brand! Created by Michael Chen, former bar manager of The Roosevelt and bartender at Eau-De-Vie Sydney (ranked as the 13th best bar in the world), Chen is now bar director of three of the top bars in Shanghai. His goal for LAIBA was to bring the professional experience and flair of these top Asian bars to the bottle. They use award-winning craft spirit and cold pressed juices with natural remedies that allow them to keep for 18-36 months in some cases, despite being all-natural. Everything is sustainably sourced and each cocktail is 100% carbon neutral, to boot. 

To celebrate their UK launch, they have created an exclusive collection of 8 or 16 bottles in a stunning package at a fantastic introductory price of £49 (for 8). Cocktails include the likes of a Twisted Negroni, In Love With Rosemary, Earl’s Old Fashioned and the LAIBA Sour. A brilliant gift and a swanky stash to have on hand for Christmas. Their shops also ships them around the world! A very smart offering indeed. 

Find here: £49 for 8

Bottle: Bar & Bottled Cocktails

This little bar and bottle shop located in Catford East, London is run by a couple passionate about creating small batch, tasty drinks with all-natural ingredients using well-loved spirits brands. Each cocktail is infused, mixed, prepared and bottled by hand at their shop; there are no additives or flavours anywhere to be seen. The bottles are super cute too! Try their Espresso Martini or their Passion fruit Daiquiri for a delicious treat. They’re also doing a cocktail called ‘Christmas in a Bottle’ right now which sounds incredible, with vodka, spices and bitters. Yum!

Find here: Prices starting from £12

Empirical

Empirical is a Danish company created by Lars Williams and Mark Emil Hermansen who are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of flavour and playing on the role flavour plays in the creation of our memories. To this end, the team builds drinks with their own quirky personalities, using unusual ingredients to create intriguing flavours. There are some excellent names for their concoctions too, from ‘F*ck Trump and His Stupid F*cking Wall’, to ‘Fallen Pony Blend’, to ‘Helena’ (YES!) Try: 'The Plum, I Suppose', where sweet plum and strawberry is balanced by an unusual note of salted caramel and a subtle, floral nose. Unique and utterly moreish. 

Find here: UK £51.99 // US $85

Looking for a particular spirit? Then check out our vodka, gin or tequila gift inspiration!

Cocktails Made Simple: Sociovino

Cocktails: you’re either a lover or a hater. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love the idea of making one but when it comes down to it, you’re either missing the ingredients or it all just seems too faffy. If this sounds like you too, let me bring you a clever solution to your cocktail woes: Sociovino.

What is ‘Sociovino’?

Sociovino, previously called ‘delivered by Astrum’ are a team of sommeliers and wine experts based in Italy and the UK that have been around since 1997 and whose main aim used to be to supply the top restaurants in the UK with some of the best wines and spirits. With the world going to pot recently however thanks to Uncle Covid, they have branched out to bring their wonderful bottles and creations to people at home too.

What does this have to do with Cocktails?

You may well ask. The Sociovino team got together with one of the UK’s top mixologists and a man famed for making one of the world’s most sought-after Martinis, Alessandro Palazzi, and asked him to put together cocktail kits and tutorial videos. Now, if you can’t get out to your favourite cocktail bar, you too can make the perfect sip at home with his expert guidance.

Which Cocktail Kits Can I Buy?

There are currently 5 different cocktail kits available, ranging from the fruity ‘Berto Bramble’ to the rich ‘Dutch Espresso Martini’ kit and they all come with enough ingredients – and, satisfyingly, in normal sized bottles - to create at least 14 serves. We particularly liked the Cosmos À L’Orange: an easy to make, sweet orange cocktail with a touch of spice. What more could you ask for?

The kits range from £45 to £69 and make brilliant gifts too, each arriving with everything you need and a recipe card. To get your hands on some head over to their website here to see the other options available.

Also, don’t forget to check out our One Drink Three Ways Cocktail series: Tanquerey Gin and Mad Bean Mocha Iced Coffee.

Apple Pie Cocktail

It’s getting around to one of our favourite times of the year! Fresh, Autumnal air, walks with the leaves crunching under your feet, a warm fire when you get home… oh, and a yummy apple pie cocktail to celebrate the season! Here’s how you can make yours… you’re welcome ;)

Ingredients

60ml Premium vodka
60ml Glen Moray Scotch whisky, sherry cask finish: ‘Elgin Classic’
230ml fresh apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional rim:
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Honey

Method

1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and place it on a shallow plate.

2. Rim 2 glasses with honey and dip them into the mixture.

3. Fill the glasses with ice.

4. Combine the vodka, whisky, and apple cider in a shaker and mix well.

5. Divide between the two glasses.

6. Garnish with sliced apples and a cinnamon stick if desired.

If you like the sound of this don’t forget to check out our Clover Club and The Daiquiri cocktail recipes too!

The Daiquiri

Often misunderstood as an overly sweet, alcoholic slushy, when made well, a Daiquiri is quite literally a simple stunner that really should be given a second chance.

Ingredients

2oz rum (we recommend Havana Club 3 year old rum)
1oz lime syrup
¾ oz sugar syrup*
garnish lime twist
*N.B. this cocktail will work with strawberry / banana syrup also

Method

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add the garnish.

Check out Aidy’s short history of the Daiquiri in episode 20 of our podcast here and if you are a fan of a good cocktail don’t forget to check out our White Russian and Clover Club recipes too.

White Russian

Whether it be summer and you don’t fancy a dessert but still want something sweet, or winter when you want to curl up in front of the fire with a good drink, this cocktail really is a hug in a glass that suites all occasions. Use a decaf coffee liqueur and it won’t keep you up all night too!

Ingredients

60ml Vodka (we recommend Belvedere / The Oxford Artisan Distillery)
30 ml Coffee liqueur (or Kahlúa). Conker Cold Brew is an excellent decaf version
15ml Cream

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

2. Put some ice cubes in a small tumbler and pour the cocktail over the top.

3. Garnish with some coffee beans or sprinkle over some chocolate powder if you’re feeling fancy!

 N.B. If you want to make a decaf version of this cocktail you can mix decaf coffee and sugar syrup together to taste and add instead of the coffee liqueur