Rusty Nail Cocktail

The fact that the Rusty Nail cocktail is considered a classic today and has not long since disappeared into the forgotten annals of cocktail history is largely due to the fact that the Rat Pack adopted this whisky cocktail in the 1950s. At every suitable opportunity, Den Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and the like had a Rusty Nail in their hands and shortly afterwards down their throats. As a result, the Rusty Nail became a symbol of the American way of life in the post-war period in the 1950s.

However, the drink was created around 20 years earlier. Its roots lie in the United Kingdom. One of the founding fathers of the British Bartenders Guild,  F. Benniman is responsible for the whisky cocktail. The idea of mixing whisky with whisky liqueur was born at the British Industries Fair in Birmingham. The Rusty Nail was the signature cocktail of the exhibition. But as I said, it wasn't until 20 years later that it became widely known with the help of musicians.

The fame of the 1950s and 1960s ebbed away and the cocktail is now mainly enjoyed by older people. Nevertheless, the Rusty Nail cocktail has lost none of its charm. With two ingredients, it offers a range of flavours that is rarely found in a glass. 

Rusty Nail Recipe

5 cl Blended Scotch Whisky

2,5 cl Drambuie

Mix both ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Then serve in a tumbler over ice.