Scotch may conjure images of crystal decanters and neat pours, but the Scottish whisky also contributes its varied flavor profile to a wide range of cocktails. While blended scotch is the more common choice in classics like the Rob Roy, single malt bottlings including smoky Islay expressions can add depth of flavor to the Penicillin and other creations.
Here are our 20 favorite ways to use scotch in cocktails.
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Penicillin
Though it’s only been around since the mid-2000s, this Gold Rush riff from New York City institution Milk & Honey has become a true modern classic. An original creation of bartender Sam Ross, the Penicillin calls for two kinds of scotch: Blended scotch forms the drink’s base, along with lemon juice and honey-ginger syrup, while a float of Islay single malt adds its distinctive smoky aroma and flavor profile.
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Bobby Burns
Named for a Scottish poet, this classic 19th-century cocktail is similar to the Rob Roy but slightly lighter and more aromatic. It calls for blended scotch and sweet vermouth in equal measures and replaces bitters with the honeyed French liqueur Benedictine.
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Blood & Sand
As the late Gary “gaz” Regan writes, “Scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth and orange juice don’t seem to belong in the same crib, let alone the same glass.” But somehow, the ingredients work together in this bright and fruit-forward cocktail, which is a good introductory drink for the whisky-averse.
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Godfather
It’s a cocktail you can’t refuse: This simple two-part combination of blended Scotch whisky and amaretto became an instant classic, just like the movie that inspired it, when it debuted in the 1970s. The almond-flavored liqueur softens the flavors of the whisky without masking them.
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Mamie Taylor
Named for a famous opera singer and said to have been invented sometime around 1899, this turn-of-the-century drink is a refreshing highball you won’t want to put down. Similar to a Moscow Mule, the drink tops blended scotch and lime juice with ginger beer.
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Rusty Nail
A perennial favorite, this simple recipe is a perfect post-dinner nightcap. Just add scotch and the honeyed whisky liqueur Drambuie to a glass with ice, stir, and serve. It’s really that easy.
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Smoky Martini
For this elegant Martini variation, bartending legend Dale DeGroff swaps the usual dry vermouth for blended scotch. In sparing quantities, the spirit’s savory and smoky notes dance beautifully with gin’s botanicals.
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North Sea Oil
Bar pro Leo Robitschek pairs the herbaceous spirit aquavit with a smoky Islay scotch for this complex and spirit-forward drink that he says “doesn’t quite fit in any box.” Cocchi Americano and triple sec tie everything together.
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The Modern
At one time, Scotch whisky and sloe gin were the trendiest ingredients around. Created by famed New York City bartender Charlie Mahoney in the first decade of the 20th century, The Modern calls for both, along with lemon juice, sugar, and dashes of absinthe and orange bitters.
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Dreamy Dorini Smoky Martini
This drink from bar pro Audrey Saunders of the late Pegu Club and other seminal cocktail bars is essentially an upgraded Smoky Martini. Saunders uses neutral vodka as the base, allowing the strong smoky notes of an Islay scotch whisky to come through, and adds a dash of Pernod for extra depth of flavor. The results are dreamy, indeed.
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Churchill
Winston Churchill is one of the most famous scotch drinkers of all time. Bartender Joe Gilmore of the famed American Bar in London created this cocktail in honor of the prime minister with blended scotch whisky, Cointreau, sweet vermouth, and lime juice.
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Scotch & Soda
Like any Whiskey Highball, this drink can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Ice and soda water help to tamp down the burn of the spirit and release some of its fruitier notes.
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Prophet in Plain Clothes
This smoky, bittersweet, and undeniably bold Rob Roy riff combines a Laphroaig 10-year-old expression, Fernet-Branca, sweet vermouth, and Amaro Cinpatrazzo. “It hides the glorious message of Fernet inside,” says creator Kraig Rovensky of the drink’s name.
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Royal Balmoral Punch
This festive fizzy cocktail from bartending vet Charlotte Voisey combines a single malt scotch with Granny Smith apple juice, an English breakfast tea syrup, sparkling lemonade, and Champagne. The ingredients can easily be scaled up, though you might opt for a blended scotch if making for a crowd.
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Cunningham
Created by San Francisco bartender Marco Dionysos, this vibrant Scotch Sour features some familiar flavors. Cherry heering liqueur and orange juice nod to the Blood & Sand, while Benedictine pulls from the Bobby Burns. Blood orange and lemon juices brighten the combination.
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Grapefruit Collins
Created by Ross at acclaimed New York City bar Attaboy, this Collins is technically a Fizz thanks to the addition of egg white. Whatever you call it, the delicious combination of blended scotch, grapefruit juice, lemon, simple syrup, bitters, egg white, and soda water will convert even non-whisky drinkers.
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South by Southwest
Regan revived this recipe from Benny McKew for his book The Negroni. The drink itself, essentially a scotch Negroni, is easy to make: Just stir scotch, Campari, and sweet vermouth with ice, then strain into a glass sprayed with orange blossom water.
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Rusty Compass
The bold and bracing drink from New York City bartender Meaghan Dorman features Compass Box’s smoky Peat Monster expression, which she pairs with Drambuie in a nod to the classic Rusty Nail. A splash of Heering cherry liqueur gently sweetens the combination while adding depth of flavor.