Pardon Me Roy

Day 211, Cocktail 204

On Monday I decided to continue my Rob Roy exploration with the original cocktail.  But before I get to that, just how did this classic cocktail come to be called the Rob Roy? 

A bit about Rob Roy, the man.  He was a Scotsman, born around 1671 and died in 1734.  He was known as the Scottish Robin Hood, although he pretty much ended up destitute and died a poor man. 

So how does that get us to a drink?  The cocktail originated in Manhattan in the 1890’s at the same time that an operretta about Rob Roy was playing in a local theatre.  It is also coincidental with the arrival in Dewar’s scotch in America, so perhaps a creative Dewar’s sales rep also played a hand.

So what about the cocktail?  Let’s try it out and see.

  Rob Roy

• 2-1/2 oz scotch
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 dash Agnosturo bitters

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir.  Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

The sweet vermouth is at the front of this cocktail with the scotch filling in behind it.  I still get flashes of an odd aftertaste, but this is better than the dry Rob Roy I had Sunday.  On the whole, though, I wouldn’t drink one of these again – it’s just too much a waste of good scotch in my book.

Cheers!