SF Girl By Bay hosted a cocktail contest a couple months back, along with Women & Whiskies, and we thought we'd try our hand at an original recipe. The contest showcased Glen Grant's The Major's Reserve single-malt Scotch, which is an interesting ingredient to work with. You don't see too many Scotch cocktails, typically; the peaty, smoky maltiness and heathery floral flavors characterizing Scotch can get lost in some drinks, and I typically drink my single malts neat or with a dram of spring water. (If I were to make a list of Scotch cocktails that spring to mind, I'd reel off the Rusty Nail, the Rob Roy, the Penicillin, the Blood and Sand...and then I'd have to stop and think for a while.)
We tried several different directions for this one, but we arrived at one that was kind of a cross between a Rob Roy (itself a Scotch Manhattan) and an Improved Whiskey Cocktail. Aromatic, with layers of flavor, this concoction pulls out the apple and vanilla notes from the single malt whisky.
Where'd My Glasgow?
- 2oz. Glen Grant The Major's Reserve single-malt Scotch whisky
- 1/2 oz. Noilly Prat sweet vermouth
- 2 tsp Maraschino liqueur (we used Maraska)
- dash Bittercube cherry bark vanilla bitters
Stir and strain into a double Old-Fashioned glass with an ice ball, and garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Thanks to Joanna Scutts for photography. (That's the official Glen Grant distillery tartan behind the glass there. Who knew?)