Drambuie Brand Ambassador Unveils Barrel Aged Rusty Nail Experiment

Last week, Drambuie Brand Ambassador, Bruce Hamilton, hosted an extraordinary cocktail tasting at the Bon Vivant’s Companion in Edinburgh. The tasting followed weeks of experimentation with the most classic of Drambuie cocktails – the Rusty Nail – a sublime combination of Drambuie and Scotch whisky.

Inviting a host of Scotland’s finest bartenders and brand managers to the tasting, Bruce unveiled a selection of Rusty Nails, each aged in a certain type of barrel, including rum, port, red wine, bourbon and sherry. The cocktails were served blind to the panel, alongside the original serve, to determine which was the most extraordinary variation on this classic cocktail.

Speaking at the tasting, Bruce Hamilton commented: “The objective of this tasting was to identify the most compatible and extraordinary barrel aged Rusty Nail. The results were really interesting, with the sherry barrel aged variety emerging as the favourite. My personal choices are the bourbon and port varieties.”

In the coming months, Bruce Hamilton will be taking the barrel aged Rusty Nails on tour for further industry tastings, before determining which variety will be initially rolled out to UK on trade partners.

A Very Drambuie Christmas

A VERY DRAMBUIE CHRISTMAS

 

 

Drambuie is an extraordinary blend of the finest aged Scotch whisky, spices and heather honey that will delight and intrigue discerning drinkers this Christmas.

 

Produced in Scotland since the late 19^th century, Drambuie became synonymous with the classic Rat Pack cocktail – The Rusty Nail – in the 1950s.

 

Today, Drambuie is enjoyed as a long, refreshing drink mixed with ginger beer, topped off with fresh lime wedges. Drambuie is also used to create exceptional experimental cocktails,where the hints of heather honey and spice offer an extraordinary taste experience. Drambuie 15 Year Old is our connoisseurs’ expression, created using our rarest Speyside malt whiskies. Best sipped neat or over ice, it is the perfect Christmas gift for whisky lovers.

 

Drambuie Brand Ambassador, Bruce Hamilton, has developed three festive cocktail recipes in time for Christmas. If you’re throwing a party, use Drambuie’s recently launched 50cl size to create one large festive punch that will serve up to 20 people.

RUSTY HOT APPLE TODDY
For one	For twenty
50ml Drambuie Original 150ml Pressed Apple Juice 1 Cinnamon Stick 4 Cloves 20ml Sugar Syrup 25ml Lemon Juice 2 Orange Twists	50cl Drambuie Original 150cl Pressed Apple Juice 4 Cinnamon Sticks 15 Cloves 20cl Sugar Syrup 25cl Lemon Juice 10 Orange Twists
Heat all the ingredients together except the Drambuie. Add the Drambuie to a teacup or handled latte glass, then, strain in the warm apple juice mixture. Garnish with a lemon slice and a fresh cinnamon stick.
WINTER SPICED COOLER
For one	For twenty
35ml Drambuie Original 1 Bottle Apple / Pear Cider 1 Cinnamon Stick 4 Cloves 1 Star Anise 20ml Sugar Syrup 25ml Lemon Juice 2 Dashes Orange Bitters	50cl Drambuie Original 2L Apple / Pear Cider 4 Cinnamon Sticks 15 Cloves 3 Star Anise 100ml Sugar Syrup 1L Pink Grapefruit Juice 15ml Orange Bitters
Heat all the ingredients together except the Drambuie. Add the Drambuie to a teacup or handled latte glass, then, strain in the warm cider mixture. Garnish with a lemon twist. DRAMBUIE MULLED WINE   For one For twenty 35ml Drambuie Original 100ml Fruit White Wine / Cooking Wine 100ml Pressed Apple Juice 1 Cinnamon Stick 4 Cloves 20ml Sugar Syrup 2 Grapefruit Twists 2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters 1 Black Grape 50cl Drambuie Original 2 bottles of Fruity White Wine / Cooking Wine 1.5L of Pressed Apple Juice 4 Cinnamon Sticks 15 Cloves 30cl Sugar Syrup 10 Grapefruit Twists 25ml Grapefruit Bitters 20 Black Grapes   Heat the wine and burn off the alcohol (Not required for cooking wine). Add the remaining ingredients together, heat and strain into a teacup or handled latte glass. Garnish with the black grapes.

Drambuie Reopens the Iconic Tron Kirk – The Original Home of Hogmany In Edinburgh – For a Festival of the Extraordinary

This Hogmanay, Drambuie is bringing the celebration back to its original venue as it throws open the doors of the historic Tron Kirk on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile from 30^th December 2012 to 1^st January 2013. The Scottish spirit will host A FESTIVAL OF THE EXTRAORDINARY– from the night before the night before to the morning after – to celebrate the first re-opening of the original home of Hogmanay in Edinburgh in twenty years.

 

The Tron Kirk is one of Edinburgh’s most recognisable landmarks and was the traditional focus for Edinburgh’s annual Hogmanay celebrations until 1993. The building has been largely closed to the public since the early 1950s but is a key part of a blueprint to restore the historic heart of the city, by bringing unused buildings back to life as cultural and arts venues, with support from private investors, commercial operators and arts organisations.

 

For three days and three nights, the Tron Kirk will open to locals and visitors welcoming in the New Year in Edinburgh. By day, the curious are invited to The Drambuie Surreal Sessions to enjoy an extraordinary program of events including:

• A breathtaking digital art projection by Edinburgh-based digital artist, Andy McGregor, which will provide a 72 hour feast for the eyes, taking visitors from 2012 into 2013
• A series of extraordinary film screenings using a classic 35mm movie projector supplied by The Grosvenor Cinema in Glasgow
• Mixology masterclasses with Drambuie Brand Ambassador, Bruce Hamilton where participants will find their inner mixologist as they experiment with Drambuie’s complex and intriguing blend of aged Scotch whisky, spices and heather honey. Masterclasses can be won on twitter @drambuie and facebook.com/UKDrambuie
• Unexpected live performances by emerging talent from across Scotland
• The Surreal Cocktail Showcase where guest bartenders will created the most extraordinary cocktails Edinburgh has ever seen

By night, The Extraordinary Drambuie Gatherings will see Scottish purveyors of aural delight take to the stage to welcome in the New Year. The impressive line-up includes:

• 30^th December 2012: The Post Procession Party with Craig Smith (6^th Borough Project)
• 31^st December 2012: The Most Extraordinary Hogmanay Party with Heavy Gossip & Ultragroove
• 1^st January 2013: The Unexpected New Year’s Day Party with LuckyMe, S-Type and Eclair Fifi & The Blessings

Revellers should also look out for Drambuie’s legion of Extraordinary Butlers, who will bring a taste of the extraordinary to the streets of Edinburgh, performing unexpected feats and inviting them into the unusual world of Drambuie.

 

The Tron Kirk was commissioned by King Charles I and built by Scottish architect John Myle between 1636 and 1647. It originally served as the city’s principal parish church and was the gathering place for Hogmanay celebrations. It ceased to be a church in 1952 and has been largely closed to the public since. The grade ‘A’ listed building is a site of immense historical and archaeological importance: the remains of Edinburgh’s oldest surviving street – the 16^th Century Marlin’s Wynd – lie beneath the site.

 

Jonathan Brown, Heritage Director at Drambuie, comments, “Through A FESTIVAL OF THE EXTRAORDINARY we hope to help secure the future of the Tron Kirk as a central arts and culture venue in Edinburgh. For Drambuie, it is a return to our roots. During the first decade of the 20^th century production of our famed liquid moved to Edinburgh from the Isle of Skye. We were based on Union Street, just over a mile away from the Tron Kirk. We are delighted, on behalf of the city of Edinburgh and the Tron Kirk, to bring this festival to  a traditional place of celebration during the New Year festivities for which Edinburgh is rightly famed.”

 

A FESTIVAL OF THE EXTRAORDINARY will be located inside the Tron Kirk, 122 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1PD. The Drambuie Surreal Sessions are free to enter and will take place from 9am to 9pm. The Extraordinary Drambuie Gatherings will take place each night from 10pm to 3am. Tickets will cost £10 and advance tickets can be purchased from See Tickets at:

 

http://www.seetickets.com/Tour/THE-EXTRAORDINARY-DRAMBUIE-GATHERINGS

 

For more information on A FESTIVAL OF THE EXTRAORDINARY, visit: drambuie.com/happenings @drambuie or facebook.com/UKDrambuie.

Andy Murray Inspired

In honour of Andy Murray’s recent winning streak, Drambuie raises a toast to him with a twist on the iconic Rusty Nail cocktail. In this version, Drambuie Brand Ambassador Bruce Hamilton uses Auchentoshan 3 Wood as a nod to Andy Murray’s Glasgow roots. The Auchentoshan distillery is a short drive from the tennis star’s birthplace.

The Rusty Grand Slam

Glass -

Rocks

Ingredients -

25ml Drambuie Original
20ml Auchentoshan 3 Wood
5ml Sherry
Dash Orange Bitters

Method -

Stir and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist

Drambuie Burns Night Cocktails

 

 

Make Burns Night Extraordinary with Drambuie

Drambuie tempts cocktail enthusiasts to celebrate Burns Night with two extraordinary recipes inspired by an aptly named classic cocktail – the Bobby Burns.

Drambuie’s unique blend, created a little over a decade before the bard’s birth, marries aged Scotch whisky with spices, heather honey and herbs. As an enhancement to cocktails served to honour Robert Burns, Drambuie brings an unexpected depth of spice and flavour to a classic.

 

Rusty Bobby Burns

Rusty Bobby Burns - recommended by Jamie Stephenson, Drambuie Global Brand Ambassador

Ingredients -

15ml Drambuie
30ml Blended Scotch (e.g. Dewars 12 Year Old)
15ml Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Method -

Stir well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass 

Garnish -

Shortbread

The Rusty Bobby Burns is inspired by J.R. Sheridan’s1901 cocktail bible, How to Mix Fancy Drinks. Make this true classic ‘Rusty’ with a dash of Drambuie – bringing a depth of flavour and intrigue to the timeless recipe.

 

Rusty Robert Burns - by Bruce Hamilton, Drambuie UK Brand Ambassador

Ingredients -

50ml Drambuie 15 Year Old
20ml Sweet Vermouth
5ml Absinthe
5ml Maraschino
2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Method -

Stir well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass

Glass -

Martini/Coupette

The Rusty Robert Burns brings something a little special to the original recipe by using Drambuie 15 Year Old – a connoisseur’s expression of Drambuie that balances the secret elixir with the finest 15 Year Old Speyside malts. The depth of flavours coming from Absinthe and Maraschino, marry perfectly with the soft Speyside malt character of Drambuie 15. Most often served neat or over ice, in this recipe we’ve used 15 Year Old to create a unique cocktail in honour of Scotland’s favourite bard.

 

* This article is recreated via W Communications *