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The Rob Roy is the Scotch cousin of the Manhattan, and the Perfect version splits the vermouth evenly between dry and sweet instead of leaning sweet. The drink was created at New York’s Waldorf Hotel in the 1890s and named after a Broadway operetta playing nearby, not directly after the Scottish outlaw himself. Splitting the vermouth suits Scotch especially well, because the dryness keeps its malty, sometimes smoky character from getting buried under sugar.
It is a drink for Scotch lovers who want a cocktail that still tastes like Scotch. Stirred cold and strained clean, it pours a deep amber, with just enough dilution to open up the whisky’s aroma. A twist of lemon keeps it bright, and a cherry leans it a touch sweeter. Blended Scotch is the traditional choice and plays nicely with the vermouth. An Islay malt makes a bolder, smokier drink that the vermouth will round off but never fully tame.
Glass: Cocktail glass | Strength: Strong | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bartenders tip: A teaspoon each of the two vermouths against two ounces of Scotch is a very dry reading of a Perfect Rob Roy. If it tastes more like cold whisky than a cocktail, push both vermouths up to half an ounce each and you will land closer to the classic balance. Either way, use vermouth that has been open less than a month and kept in the fridge. Tired vermouth is the usual reason this drink falls flat.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Scotch whisky
- 1 tsp dry vermouth
- 1 tsp sweet vermouth
- Ice
- Garnish: maraschino cherry or lemon twist
Steps
- Chill the glass: Fill a cocktail glass with ice water, then discard it before straining.
- Stir: Combine the scotch, dry vermouth, and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Strain: Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with a maraschino cherry or a lemon twist. Serve immediately.
