Three Simple Cocktails to Get You Into Drambuie

Fall is the best time to try Drambuie for the first time. Drambuie, a mix of aged Scotch and heather honey, has a sweet but balanced flavor. It mixes well with Scotch, as the whisky_Drambuie cocktail Rusty Nail (a classic) is an example. However, the complexity of the liqueur means that it can be used regardless of whether Scotch is present. These cocktails are easy to make.

Easy: Bonnie Prince Charlie

This cocktail is named after the prince who led the Scottish rebellion against the English. It combines Drambuie and one of our favorites: bubbles. The garnish is essential. The sparkling wine will keep bubbling and bubbling if you use lemon peel.

Instructions Pour 1 ounce Drambuie into a tall glass or champagne flute. Next, pour 4 ounces of sparkling wine. Add a long, thin lemon peel to garnish.

Intermediate: Rusty Nail

A top-dollar Scotch won’t harm this drink (and we wouldn’t say no to Macallan 18 if you were pouring it), but a well-priced blended Scotch should be fine.

Instructions Combine 1 ounce Drambuie and 2 ounces Scotch in a glass. Add some Angostura bitters. Mix until chilled—strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon peel to release the citrus oils by twisting it around the glass.

Scotch Coffee: Advanced

There are a few good coffee cocktails. It’s possible to make a coffee cocktail that uses high-quality coffee and pairs it with fine ingredients such as Drambuie.