Burns Night 2025: What to pair with your Burns supper

Burns Night 2025: What to pair with your Burns supper

Stuck on what whisky to enjoy to celebrate this year's Burns Night? Look no further.

 

Opening photo credit:© Norman Pogson| Dreamstime.com

News | 24 Jan 2025

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One of the most important decisions you will make this year will be what whisky to pair with your Burns supper. This list includes three whiskies whose flavour profiles will suit perfectly with the celebratory meal, as well as a cocktail recipe if you’re feeling adventurous.

Arran

The Robert Burns Single Malt

 

This single malt from Arran is appropriately named for a Burns Night celebration. It’s intentionally light to make it a perfect whisky for pairing with a meal, or even to drink prior, perhaps when cooking up your supper.

 

The producers have described the expression as having fresh vanilla and cinnamon aromas, with sweet notes of honey, toffee-glazed pecans, and fresh summer fruits which balances perfectly with the neeps and tatties on your plate.

RyeLaw

 

RyeLaw is exclusively produced by InchDairnie Distillery and uses a mash bill of 54% malted rye and 47% malted barley. However, RyeLaw is proud of its Scottish heritage and, in keeping true to these roots, is defined in law as a Single Grain Scotch Whisky.

 

As to be expected with a whisky featuring predominantly rye, this is spicy. The producers describe the dram’s flavour profile as having notes of spice, spice wood, berries, and cereal. This is an ideal whisky to accompany the main meal itself, and will especially compliment the haggis on the dish.

 

The Glen Grant

15 Years Old

 

Perfect as a gentle sipper throughout supper, The Glen Grant has several tempting options, but it’s perhaps the 15 Years Old that stands out most for this particular occasion. Crafted by master distiller Dennis Malcolm, this single malt is bottled at 50% ABV.

 

Its flavour profiles are exactly what you’d hope for from The Glen Grant, with a tasting note from our editor-at-large Christopher Coates describing the expression as having notes of teacakes, marzipan, fondant icing, and stewed apples — a perfect sweet accompaniment.

Caorunn Burns Night Martini

 

Perhaps you’re in the mood for something a little more adventurous besides just a straight whisky on Burns Night, which is where a cocktail could come in handy for post-meal celebrations. The Caorunn Burns Night Martini works with a combination of Scotch and gin, and is a possible alternative to having a dessert with its ice-cream-like flavour.

 

The recipe is as followed:

 

Ingredients:

  • 20ml Caorunn Gin
  • 5ml Old Pulteney Single Malt whisky 
  • 25ml Italicus liqueur
  • 30ml Dry vermouth
  • Slice of apple

 

Method:

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 20 seconds. Finish by pouring into a coupette glass over a chunk of ice and garnish with a slice of apple.

 

Tempted by a Burns Night cocktail and want to have multiple options for your family and friends besides the Caorunn Martini? Our Cocktail of the Week for this week is a Robby & Roy, using a 14 year old Balvenie.

 

Whatever you decide to pair with your Burns Supper, all of us at Whisky Magazine hope you all celebrate in style. Happy birthday, Rabbie — slàinte!

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