Rob Roy
blended scotch, sweet vermouth and bitters
Essentially a Manhattan made with then-novel blended scotch, the Rob Roy is easily the most popular scotch cocktail ever. The drink was known by 1895, possibly emanating from Hoboken, New Jersey.
The recipe shown above is not the earliest, but it coherent, and from an addendum at the back of Thomas Stuart’s 1904 “Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them”.
Rob Roy
Stir with ice:
- 2 oz blended scotch
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 1 dash aromatic bitters (optional)
Strain into a cocktail glass
Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, p. 593–4; barware icons courtesy of Haus Alpenz