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Rusty Nail
Here is drink that produces an image of a hard-nosed cocktail that will put hair on your chest. Even the word "cocktail" doesn't seem to go with the Rusty Nail. The drink hearkens back to the day when men were men and dogs slept in the garage. After a hard day of work, the man of the house needed a hard drink, not one of those fruity pink drinks in a prissy martini glass. Jump forward 50 years and you have guys who sip Cosmopolitans and make goofy faces when they drink a shot of tequila, even though they have some salt and lime (lemon) to cover up the flavour. Hell, even flavourless vodka makes people squirm. Now a Rusty Nail, that’s a real drink.
As usual, I was determined to write an article about something, but with the usual "writers block" I decided to open up Difford's Guide and write about a cocktail. I wanted something non-fruity and strong. I wanted something that would warm me up and make me think about what I was drinking. I thought an Old Fashioned might fit the bill because a guest once asked for a drink that would be "sailor humping strong". The Old Fashioned seemed to work for him. Then I thought a Sazerac would be even better, or maybe a Manhattan, but those didn't seem to be hitting the mark because they are in my regular drink rotation.
As I flipped through the pages of Difford's Guide to Cocktails, I hit the Rusty Nail and that was what I was going to drink. It's a good strong drink, with lots of flavour and a subtle sweetness. Plus it's exceptionally simple to make. The only items required were a bottle of scotch, some scotch liqueur like Drambuie or Lochan Ora and some good ice. Some people add a cherry to their Rusty Nail, but I forgo that. A lemon twist works if you have a lemon hanging around.
Rusty Nail
2 oz Scotch
1 oz Drambuie
Build on ice in a rocks or old fashion glass.
When you take the first sip of your Rusty Nail, your palate will be hit with lots of scotch flavours, like smokey peat and malt which is quickly followed by the sweetness of the scotch liqueur. In this case I used Lochan Ora which I find to be better than Drambuie, but it is becoming harder to find. The finish is slightly sweet and then fades to a smokey residue.
For scotch I used Macallan 10 year old single malt, which is modestly priced. I can already hear a few people grumbling about using a precious single malt and violating it with honeyed scotch liqueur. Well, better ingredients make for a better drink and even though a blended scotch would work fine, I find the Macallan to be a less robust scotch, than say an Islay malt which would be a really edgy drink. A Macallan based Rusty Nail isn't as edgy as it gets with this drink, you always need to leave a little room at the top.
The Rusty Nail is one of those odd drinks that new drinkers think they'll like, but don't. The idea of sweetened scotch may be appealing but unlike other drinks where the sugar takes the edge off of the alcohol, the sweetness in a Rusty Nail actually gives the drink a sharper edge.
98 Comments on Rusty Nail
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A morning drink in Scotland, during the 1800s, was called a Frosty Nail; I am not sure if there is a link to a Rusty Nail, but there might be:
"Edinburgh Fugitive Pieces", edited by William Creech, 1791.
"4thly, That all private persons and clubs, who drink more than is necessary, should be watched with a sharp eye, and assessed in particular sums, according to their opulence or love of liquor; and therefore that a strict attention should be paid to several clubs in this city, such as, the Capillaire, the Borachio, the Apican, the Humdrum, the Poker, the Cape, the Blast and Quaff, Doctors of the Faculty, the Jeroboam, the Occan, the Pipe, and, though last not least, the virtuous, the venerable, and dignified WIG, who, so much to their honour and kind attention, always inform the public of their meetings. Also that an officer should be appointed to take notice of all dram drinkers, lovers of a frosty nail in the morning, of cauld cocks, Athole brose, old man's milk, half and half, chearers, doctors, torrie rorries, ."
Ahhhh.. brings back memories of Northern Michigan, sitting, watching "A River Runs Through It" with the Au Sable river rushing past the cabin, only yards away, while sipping several Rusty Nails.. bliss! And a heck of a hang-over the next morning! Ouch!
Sounds like a fine waste of decent scotch. Better to use something like Chivas Regal, J. Walker red, or Cutty Sark--they are like drinking nails on their own and could give real credence to the name of this cocktail.
The Rusty Nail was one of the earlier drinks I enjoyed, although it's been years since I had one. I tend to agree that a decent scotch is more fun on its own, but when looking for a scotch-based cocktail I often serve up a Godfather (which sounds equally tough, but isn't) a little more.
Glad to see someone taking a serious look at the Rusty Nail. Each afternoon, after a day in the field with our dogs the club president would pour us a Rusty Nail. The drink always reminds me of upland game hunting and fine pointing dogs. (Un)fortunately the lovely young woman who used to clean my birds has moved on...
Surprisingly (perhaps?) one of the first cocktails I had was a Pig Nose scotch Rusty Nail and I loved it. JW Black makes a pretty good one, too.
Wild Turkey has (fairly) recently put out a honey-infused bourbon called American Honey. I just picked up a bottle and tonight may see how an American-ized version of this excellent whisk(e)y cocktail comes out, with a bourbon Honey liquor and bourbon.
To stir or not to stir? Saturday night was bitter cold here in Kentucky. When the boss asked for a "painkiller" I fixed a Rusty Nail for her. I floated the Drambuie on top of the Scotch and it sank. She was none too impressed. And, God love her, she has been developing a taste for whiskey of all kinds in the past year or so I have been tending bar. So, I needs to know. Is a Rusty Nail better enjoyed with the ingredients blended with a stir, or should I just learn to do a better job of floating the Drambuie on top?
The best scotch you can use is going to be chivas Regal. By far superior to even JW. see these thigs are not determind by price, rather by quality.
Besides CR goes better with a cuban cigar then JW does.