Rob Roy recipe
A Manhattan with scotch — smoky, herbal, and named after a Scottish folk hero.
Method: Stir ·
Glass: Coupe or Nick and Nora ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: The Martini Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse or Monkey Shoulder)
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula)
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
How to make a Rob Roy
- Add scotch, sweet vermouth, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds until well-chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry.
Garnish
Brandied cherry.
Pro tip
Use a blended scotch, not a peaty single malt. Laphroaig in a Rob Roy is like putting hot sauce on ice cream — technically possible but missing the point. You want something smooth and malty that plays well with the vermouth. Save the Islay for sipping neat.
History of the Rob Roy
Created in 1894 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York for the premiere of the operetta 'Rob Roy' (about the Scottish outlaw Robert Roy MacGregor). It's essentially a Manhattan with scotch, which makes sense — the Waldorf was already famous for Manhattans.
Flavour profile
Smoky, Herbal, Rich, Malty
Variations
- Bobby Burns — Add a barspoon of Benedictine
- Affinity — Equal parts scotch, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, plus bitters
- Blood and Sand — Scotch, sweet vermouth, Cherry Heering, orange juice
Practise making the Rob Roy in the free Virtual Bar game.