Skip to main content

Bobby Burns

Image may contain Drink Cocktail Alcohol Beverage Martini Glass and Goblet
Bobby BurnsTeri Lyn Fisher

Looking for an excuse to chase away the late-January blahs? Celebrate Burns Night on January 25. This drink—perfect for Scotch lovers—is named for the famed Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote "Auld Lang Syne." Since this drink is essentially all spirits (with no juice or mixers), traditionally it would be stirred rather than shaken. The method here, for making a bottled version, deviates from that rule, but it's effective for serving large group. It's also rather strong!

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 8; Total Volume: about 4 cups

Ingredients

12

ounces (1 1/2 cups) Scotch

12

ounces (1 1/2 cups) sweet vermouth (such as Carpano Antica)

5

ounces (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) water

2

ounces (1/4 cup) Bénédictine

8

lemon twists for garnish

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a pitcher that holds at least 5 cups, combine the Scotch, vermouth, water, and Bénédictine and stir well. Using a funnel, decant into a 1-liter liquor bottle or two 750-ml liquor bottles. Cap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled.

    Step 2

    To serve, set out a bowl or wine bucket filled with ice. Shake the bottle to ensure the cocktail is well mixed, then set it in the ice so it stays chilled. Pour into coupe or martini glasses and garnish each drink with a lemon twist.

Reprinted with permission from Cocktails for a Crowd: More than 40 Recipes for Making Popular Drinks in Party-Pleasing Batches by Kara Newman. Text copyright © 2013 by Kara Newman; photographs copyright © 2013 by Teri Lyn Fisher. Published by Chronicle Books, LLC.