Bobby Burns (Craddocks recipe)
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 23.4% ABV ∙
The Bobby Burns is a stirred, spirit-forward whisky cocktail of Scotch, sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 45 mlRosso vermouth 45 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and discard
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Stir with plenty of large cubes for 25-30 seconds, until the mixing glass feels ice-cold. With no citrus here, a drink that's too warm or too strong has nowhere to hide.
- The Bénédictine is just 10 ml against 45 ml each of whisky and vermouth, so measure it; a heavy hand lets it take over.
History
The Bobby Burns (Craddocks recipe) follows the formula Harry Craddock fixed in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, published in London: equal parts Scotch whisky and Italian (sweet) vermouth with three dashes of Bénédictine. Our recipe uses more Bénédictine, 10 ml. Craddock called it one of the best whisky cocktails and a fast mover on Saint Andrew's Day, November 30, Scotland's national day.
Most modern bars cite Craddock's formula as the classic Bobby Burns. Albert Stevens Crockett's differently proportioned 1931 "Robert Burns" used orange bitters and absinthe instead of Bénédictine, and later 1948 adaptations substituted Drambuie for the Bénédictine.
The drink itself is a Scotch-based riff on the Manhattan and Rob Roy that first appeared in print as the "Baby Burns" in Bishop & Babcock's 1900 Fancy Drinks guide. It is popularly linked to the poet Robert Burns and served on Burns Night, though it may instead honor the Robert Burns cigar brand.
