Mr. Burns
A herbal and bitter whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 27.4% ABV ∙
Mr. Burns is a whisky-forward take on the Bobby Burns, stirring Speyside single malt with dry vermouth, Bénédictine, Creole bitters and absinthe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Speyside single malt Scotch whisky 40 mlDry vermouth 25 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 10 mlCreole-style bitters 2 dashesAbsinthe 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stop at a single dash of absinthe; any more and it drowns the Bénédictine's honeyed spice.
History
The Mr. Burns is a bartenders' riff on the Bobby Burns, swapping in single malt Scotch for blended and dry vermouth for sweet, so the drink leans drier without the Bénédictine's sweetness stacking on sweet vermouth too. No single creator or dated origin story for the Mr. Burns itself is documented; it circulates among craft bars as a variation, sometimes tied to the Simpsons character Charles Montgomery Burns as a naming joke.
The Bobby Burns it descends from is a Scotch, vermouth and Bénédictine cocktail named for the poet Robert Burns, first appearing in print around the turn of the 20th century. Its exact origin is disputed, and its earliest recipes varied widely before Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book helped standardize the modern form in 1930.
FAQ
How do you make a Mr. Burns cocktail?
Stir 40 ml Speyside single malt Scotch, 25 ml dry vermouth, 10 ml Bénédictine, 2 dashes of Creole bitters and 1 dash of absinthe with ice. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe and express a lemon twist over the top. Stop at one dash of absinthe, or it drowns the Bénédictine.
