Classic Burns

Ian Wisniewski goes in search of Bobby Burns

It's surprising that so few cocktails are named after people, whether it's the person who inspired the recipe, or whoever created it .

So, it's even more surprising that although Scotch whisky only has a limited number of classic cocktails, the Rob Roy and Bobbie Burns are two examples bearing the names of Scottish figures.

Rob Roy was the nickname of Robert McGregor (1671-1734), immortalised by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) in the eponymous novel, while Robert Burns is the country's national poet. However, while Burns the poet would be referred to as ‘Robbie' rather than ‘Bobbie' by Scots, the name Bobbie Burns has become the standard reference for the cocktail (I've only found one instance of the recipe being called Robbie Burns).

The Rob Roy and Bobbie Burns are not only united in their sense of Scottishness, but also closely related in terms of the ingredients.

The Rob Roy (created at New York's Waldorf Hotel in 1894, for the opening night of an opera called Rob Roy), comprises a measure of Scotch whisky, red vermouth and a dash of Angostura Bitters.

Now, spot the difference. A Bobbie Burns also requires Scotch whisky and red vermouth, together with a dash of Benedictine liqueur.

It seems inevitable that Robert Burns (1759- 1796) would either inspire, or provide the name for a Scotch whisky cocktail, particularly as Scotch whisky was something of an inspiration to him.

His poem entitled Scotch Drink includes the lines, “O thou my Muse! guid auld Scotch drink.â...

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• By : Ian Wisniewski
• In : Cocktails
• Issue : 62
• Page : 56
• Words : 529