Rob Roy

Most people are familiar with the Manhattan cocktail, a wonderful combination of American whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Few however are as familiar with its Gaelic cousin, the Rob Roy.

The Rob Roy first makes its appearance in the 1890's (about 10 years after the Manhattan) in New York. There are apparently two things that specifically led to the unveiling of the Rob Roy cocktail: first is that Dewar's Scotch Whisky was introduced into New York; and second there was a new opera that had just opened by the name "Rob Roy". The rest, as they say, is history.

There aren't that many cocktails that use Scotch, mostly because its rather strong and smoky flavor have a hard time blending well with other flavors, for this reason it is best to use a blended Scotch instead of a Single Malt. I personally prefer using Dewar's, if for no other reason then to celebrate this cocktail with the spirit that gave it birth.

Rob Roy

• 1 1/2 oz blended Scotch Whisky
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 to 2 dashes orange bitters (or Angostura)

Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry.

Like the Manhattan, and the Martini, this drink can be made sweet, dry, or perfect. The above recipe is for a sweet Rob Roy (but since this is the "normal" recipe, it isn't necessary to specify that). If you'd prefer yours made with dry vermouth it would be a "dry Rob Roy", and if you'd like to have it made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth (1/4 ounce of each in this case), you'd ask for a "perfect Rob Roy".

Vermouth is a fortified wine, meaning that a spirit (normally brandy) has been added to it. This, along with the various botanicals that it also includes, will help preserve it better then a plain wine. However this does not mean it should be considered "shelf stable", over time the flavor of the vermouth will gradually degrade. For this reason it is recommended that you keep any opened vermouth bottles in the refrigerator to preserve them longer.