Scotch Gaurd

The centuries-old mix of heather honey, spice, and aged malt whisky remains the same, but Drambuie has gotten a bar-friendly makeover. Call it Drambuie 2.0.
By Meaghan Dorman

If you’ve got any image of Drambuie, it likely involves the oldest guy in the bar calling for a Drambuie neat before leaving the night to the vodka-and-cranberry crowd. That’s because you probably know it as the rotund bottle covered by a healthy layer of dust. But Drambuie is looking to find a home among a bartender’s go to pours. Its redesigned bottle is tall and slim, like those of other whiskys, and though the modern label and clear glass bottle full of inviting golden liqueur might inspire a double take, the sweet and spicy cocktail experience will make a believer out of you. But what’s more important is that Drambuie plays well with booze, citrus, and bitters.

Global brand ambassador Jamie Stephenson recommends forgoing the classic rusty nail and getting creative with the versatile liqueur. “The secret lies in choosing which part of Drambuie you want to emphasize,” Stephenson says. “For the most part, Drambuie is very sweet—the heather honey really is at the fore. By using bitters or acidity [citrus] to tone down the sweetness, you allow more of the other sensations to shine. The complexity of the spice mix and the smoothness of the whisky blend can be built upon to create cocktails. You can just as easily make a classic Manhattan-esque drink for the discerning gentleman as a Sex and the City–style crowd pleaser.”

Another reason to take a new look at Drambuie is its 80-proof punch. The devil-may-care feeling of
sipping a cocktail comes a lot more quickly when its modifier doesn’t cut the alcohol content. For the home bartender, Drambuie is a coup because it adds whisky, honey sweetness, and notes of clove, nutmeg, and saffron in a single pour.

Drambuie caught on with Scots and went on to global distribution because it’s a quality, intricate liqueur, different from anything else. In Scotland it was originally dubbed an dram buidheach, which means “a drink that satisfies.” Now that it’s been updated for the twenty-first century, we recommend giving it a spot in your drinking rotation.