Rob Roy Recipe

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

With a bold blast of scotch, the Rob Roy rescues your taste buds from the cocktails you’re used to.

1995 was the summer of adventure movies, with First Knight, Braveheart, and Rob Roy all coming out around the same time. In my teenage wisdom, I thought that Rob Roy, which starred Liam Neeson as a Scottish freedom fighter and swashbuckler (at least the trailers portrayed it that way), would be great to take my youngest sibling to. They wouldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old at the time. As the theater darkened and we ate our popcorn, I felt pretty proud of myself. You’re doing a great thing, I remember thinking.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Rob Roy you’ll probably remember that it has a hard R rating for a reason. I quickly learned that this violent, sexual, and realistically gritty flick was all kinds of inappropriate for a child only in elementary school. I spent most of its runtime cringing and shaking my head, hoping the kid sitting next to me was too young to get it. We laugh about it now, but I still grimace in embarrassment whenever I hear or see the name Rob Roy.

And while taking a youngster to that film was definitely a huge mistake, the cocktail we’re looking at tonight most certainly isn’t. The Rob Roy is a drink that shares its name with the Scottish folk hero. A variation on the classic Manhattan, this tipple switches out the rye for a bold scotch. I recently mixed myself one, and the smooth, aged spirit came together seamlessly with the sweet vermouth for a really spicy and complex sip.

The Rob Roy was created in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria in 1894. An operetta entitled Rob Roy, about the famed hero, premiered that year on October 29 at the Herald Square Theatre to much acclaim. The cocktail was invented to honor the show’s opening and its color was supposed to imitate the folk hero’s red hair.

What is the Best Scotch to Use in a Rob Roy?

For starters, make sure your whisky is a product of Scotland. Similar to bourbon, all scotches are whiskies, but not all whiskies are scotches. Once this spirit is distilled, it requires at least three years of aging in oak barrels, and comes in five different styles: single malt, single grain, blended, blended malt and blended grain. If you’re new to scotch, you might find any of them to be a little intense. I found a simple blended bottle served my Rob Roy well, as that type is a mix of single malt and single grain.

What kind of glass and garnish is used for a Rob Roy?

A chilled coupe with an orange or lemon twist will be a most impressive way to enjoy your cocktail.

Who was Rob Roy?

Rob Roy MacGregor, sometimes called Red Rob because of his hair, was a Scottish outlaw and folk hero that died in 1734. Portrayed as a Robin Hood-type figure, his legacy has popped up more than once in popular culture throughout the years.

Rob Roy Variations

If smoky and robust cocktails are your preferred way to wind down after a long week, the Rob Roy is what you’re looking for. And after you’ve enjoyed a few of those as you lounge in your comfiest chair, let me remind you that Twist & Toast has all of the recipes for Manhattan-style and -inspired drinks to keep your mood relaxed and laid back.

• Bourbon Manhattan – Smooth and strong, this spicy drink tastes as good as it looks.
• Tequila Manhattan – Take your Big Apple-inspired cocktail to the Southwest by using tequila in place of whisky.
• Manhattan – This recipe for the classic and iconic drink should be in everyone’s repertoire.
• Martinez – Said to be the inspiration for the Manhattan, as well as the Martini, the Martinez is an OG cocktail.