A Scotch nightcap whose entire character is restraint: blended Scotch softened by Drambuie, the honey-, heather- and herb-laced Scotch liqueur, stirred over ice until properly cold. It drinks round, gently sweet and warming, the malt wrapped in honey and herbs while a twist of lemon peel brightens the aroma above the glass.
Garnish: Lemon Peel
Stirred · Rocks · On the Rocks
build
Fill a rocks glass with ice and pour the Scotch and Drambuie directly over it.
stir
Stir gently to chill and combine.
garnish
Express a lemon twist over the surface and drop it in (an orange peel is a common alternative).
No single inventor stands behind the Rusty Nail; instead, several claims tangle together. A 1937 trade-fair drink known as the B.I.F., credited to F. Benniman, is counted as a forerunner, and the bartenders at Manhattan's 21 Club are linked to the drink in the early 1960s. The name was fixed in 1963, when Drambuie chairwoman Gina MacKinnon endorsed it in The New York Times and made it a vehicle for the liqueur. Lasting fame arrived through the Rat Pack, who adopted it as a favourite, and the IBA now places it among its Unforgettables.