Bar Necessities
The catalog
The Unforgettables IBA Official IBA

Rusty Nail

Scotch tucks itself in

Glass Old-fashioned
Method Built
Garnish Lemon Twist

Scotch and Drambuie in a smoky-sweet duet. The honey and herb liqueur tames single malt's peat into something surprisingly approachable yet unmistakably Scottish.

Ingredients

Method

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice. Pour Scotch and Drambuie directly into the glass. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Earliest documented as the B.I.F. (British Industries Fair) in 1937, credited to F. Benniman; per historian David Wondrich via Difford's Guide, the combination went through several names (D&S, Little Club No. 1) before settling on "Rusty Nail" by the early 1960s, credited to bartenders at Manhattan's 21 Club and cemented by Drambuie's endorsement in 1963 when Gina MacKinnon, chairwoman of Drambuie, promoted it in The New York Times. Listed in IBA's "The Unforgettables" collection.