Burns Night won’t be quite the same this year as we enter yet another week of lockdown here in Britain. But we know that many Brits do like to mark this special anniversary, so if this is a date that’s firmly in your calendar, then we have a few delicious cocktail suggestions that you can make at home this Monday 25th January and raise a glass to the poet Robert Burns’ 262nd birthday.
We thought we would start with the popular Bobby Burns cocktail for Burns Night. Jason Scott, who is the owner of Bramble Bar, has given this classic cocktail a J&B Rare twist to create the J&B Rare Bobby Burns.
You will need 50ml J&B Rare, 25ml Balthazar Vermouth, 5ml Benedictine and 2 dashes of Peychaud Bitters. Add some ice to a cocktail shaker, then pour in all the ingredients, stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Finish off by garnishing it with a fresh lemon peel twist.
RRP: £22.50, ABV: 40% and available from: Waitrose, thewhiskyexchange.com masterofmalt.com and Justerini & Brooks.
Our next suggestion, is an alternative Burns Night Cocktails for Tryanuary, made with Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky and an opportunity to try something new and a little bit different. So, here’s a cocktail made with an English single malt whisky from the Cotswolds, named The Cotswolds Old Fashioned.
You will need 60ml Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, 10ml maple syrup and 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters. Next, dissolve the whisky and maple syrup in a cocktail jar or glass and add ice and stir continuously to dilute it. Then add the bitters, a little more ice and stir a few more times for good measure. Finally, strain it into an ice filled rocks glass, express orange peel around the glass and garnish with the orange peel.
Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky RRP: from £39 for a 700ml bottle. ABV: 46% and available from: waitrose.com, majestic.co.uk, thewhiskyexchange.com, Harrods, Laithwaites, cotswoldsdistillery.com and selected Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.
Our third Burns Night cocktail is made with Storywood Speyside 14 Añejo Tequila to bring some of the warmth of Mexico to your Burns Night. This delicious tequila has the heart of Mexico and the soul of Scotland with 100% agave liquid expertly aged in single malt whisky casks from Speyside, making it ideal for creating cocktails.
You will need 50ml Speyside 14 Añejo, 10ml agave syrup, orange peel and 2 dashes of bitters. Stir half the tequila with three cubes of ice in a glass, add agave syrup, bitters and two more ice cubes, before stirring again. Then add the rest of the tequila before stirring once more before finally adding more ice cubes if there’s room and finally garnish with an orange peel.
Storywood Speyside 14 Añejo Tequila: RRP £47.45 for 700ml. ABV: 40% and is available from: amazon.co.uk, masterofmalt.com, thewhiskyexchange.com and storywoodtequila.com
For those of you who prefer a straight Scotch whisky, then our fourth suggestion is Scarabus Islay Single Malt from the family-owned Scotch whisky distiller, blender and bottler Hunter Laing & Co, who have recently launched two brand-new expressions: Scarabus 10 Year Old and Scarabus Batch Strength.
Commenting on the release of the new expressions, Stewart Laing, Managing Director, said:
“Following the success of the brand’s launch at Feis Ile 2019, it’s very exciting to add two brand-new expressions to the range. Scarabus is a brand which we are incredibly proud of, and to see Scarabus grow and develop like this is really wonderful.”
Adding to his father’s comments, Scott Laing, Business Development Director, said:
“It’s always exciting when a new Islay expression launches and we are particularly proud of our Scarabus brand.
The flavour is unmistakable, the Islay peat, smoke and sea salt on the nose, followed by warming leather notes and a delightful vanilla sweetness in the mouth, leads to a rich, lingering finish, culminating all the elements which Islay whisky enthusiasts adore.
We’re very excited to see our ever-loyal Islay whisky fans react to both Scarabus 10 Year Old and Scarabus Batch Strength.”
Scarabus 10 Year Old is priced at £45 for 70cl, bottled at 46% ABV and Scarabus Batch Strength is £49 for 70cl, bottled at 57% ABV. Both are available to buy online directly from Ardnahoe Distillery at www.ardnahoedistilleryshop.com
So, whichever cocktail or cocktails you do decide to create on 25th January, we wish you a fun-filled evening!
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man On The Ground, a member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
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