Drambuie liqueur: history, description, how and with what to drink + 9 cocktail recipes
The name of the Scottish forty-degree honey whiskey liqueur Drambuie can be translated from Gaelic as "Sip of abundance".
A beautiful legend, invented by the producers of this elite drink, connects its origin with the Scottish and then the British royal dynasty of the Stuarts. However, the true history of the liqueur is no less interesting, and perhaps even more ancient...
History of the Drambuie
Starting in the 16th or even 15th century, harsh highlanders began to refine their barley moonshine by infusing it with fragrant local herbs and adding honey to it. Wealthier nobles had the opportunity to add various overseas spices to this list.
Among these noble families were representatives of the McKinnon clan from the Isle of Skye. At the same time, the ambitious islanders decided to insist on herbs, honey and spices not only local whiskey, but also very expensive imported cognac.
As a result, a unique family drink of the McKinnon family appeared, very well known to a very narrow circle of people.
In 1873, the impoverished nobles were forced to sell the family recipe to the owner of a local hotel, John Ross. The son and heir of the latter, James, began to offer the drink to his guests, having previously replaced imported cognac with native aged whiskey.
Convinced of the potential of the modernized, or rather archaic, liquor, James began to slowly ship it to France and the United States.
As a result, by 1893, he managed to raise the necessary amount of money to officially register the exclusive rights to produce the drink, which by then had acquired its current name.
After the death of the entrepreneur, whose business was probably not going well, his widow, Eleanor, was forced to sell the license to produce and sell the liquor to pay for her children's education.
The buyer was Malcolm MacKinnon, a representative of another branch of the same clan. Thanks to the efforts of the new owner, Drambuie gained wide popularity among British officers for ten years, penetrated the House of Lords and even ended up on the table of the inhabitants of Buckingham Palace.
For more than a hundred years, the popular brand has been in the hands of the McKinnons. However, in 2014, the family business became the property of a well-known Scottish trading and industrial house: William Grant & Sons, which cost the creators of the legendary Glenfiddich approximately $ 100 million.
Overview of Drambuie
The basis for the liqueur is Scotch single malt whiskey, aged in oak barrels from 15 to 17 years.
The secret composition of the liqueur undoubtedly includes local heather honey and herbs (in particular, possibly clover), water, saffron, nutmeg and cloves.
After all the proper ingredients are added, the liquor is returned to the barrels for infusion.
Then the drink is filtered and bottled, allowing you to admire its deep golden amber color without hindrance.
The taste of the drink is characterized by cinnamon notes, anise, and the presence of citrus fruits.
How and with what to drink Drambuie
Most often, the drink is consumed neat in the company of dessert dishes.
It is served in rocks, filled to a third, chilled to a temperature of 10-14°C. In such cases, the drink is usually accompanied by soft cheeses, creamy ice cream or dark chocolate.
The herbal component of the liqueur allows you to use it as a digestif.
At the same time, the cool drink should be warmed up a little in the palms of your hands to fully reveal the flavor and aroma bouquet.
At the same time, if you need to reduce the strength of the liqueur, you can add non-carbonated (preferably spring) water to it.
Many drink lovers add it directly to tea or coffee.
Rusty nail cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 30-50 ml
Scotch - 50 ml
Lemon - 1 mug
The method of preparation
Mix drinks in a tumbler with ice.
Garnish with lemon.
P.S. If you replace scotch with Canadian whiskey, you will get a Donald Sutherland cocktail.
Handsome Charlie cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 50 ml
Sparkling wine - 200 ml
Lemon zest - 1 strip
Method of preparation
Mix liqueur and champagne gently in a highball glass.
Garnish with a zest.
Scottish dreams cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 25 ml
Scotch tape - 25 ml
Orange juice - 50 ml
Orange - 1 slice
The method of preparation
Shake alcohol and juice in a shaker with ice.
Pour through a strainer into a glass.
Garnish with an orange.
Scottish coffee
List of ingredients
The method of preparation
Cool the coffee to room temperature.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
Shake all liquids in a shaker.
Serve in a rocks glass.
Apricot Drambuie cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 40 ml
Apricot juice - 80 ml
Lemon juice - 10 ml
Lemon - 1 slice
Method of preparation
Mix all liquids in a highball glass with ice.
Garnish with lemon.
Big John cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 10 ml
Scotch tape - 30 ml
Passion fruit juice - 30 ml
Lemon juice - 1 desh
Cocktail cherries - 1 piece
The method of preparation
Shake all liquids in a shaker with ice.
Pour through a strainer into a glass.
Garnish with a cherry.
Cloud Island cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 20 ml
Dry London gin - 20 ml
Lemon juice - 20 ml
The method of preparation
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
Stir well.
Pour through a strainer into a glass.
Rusty apple toddy cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 50 ml
Apple juice - 150 ml
Lemon - ¼ piece
Cinnamon - 1 stick
The method of preparation
Squeeze the lemon.
Warm up the apple juice.
Mix the juice, liqueur and lemon juice in a rocks glass.
Add the cinnamon.
Flute cocktail
List of ingredients
Drambuie - 25 ml
Scotch - 30 ml
Limoncello - 25 ml
Orange - 1 cup
Method of preparation
Mix drinks in a rocks glass with crushed ice.
Garnish with an orange.
Update: 22.10.2019
Category: Liqueurs and Tinctures