Scotch

Named for a Scottish revolutionary, a New York City operetta—or both—this effortless scotch cocktail is built to last.

Rumored to be a Rat Pack favorite, this two-ingredient cocktail is the ultimate throwback after-dinner drink.

This riff on the amaretto sour bolsters the cocktail with scotch, adding a subtle smoky note.

The Blood and Sand is a classic equal parts scotch cocktail that’s rich and bold. 

The Bobby Burns cocktail is a scotch manhattan from 1916, made fragrant with herbal and honeyed Benedictine liqueur. This Bobby Burns recipe is modernized, with a bit more whiskey than older versions.

The Cowboy Killer is a slightly smoky scotch-tinged riff on the Brooklyn cocktail from bartender Colin Shearn.

A smoky scotch float takes this tangy whiskey cocktail to the next level.

This winter cocktail is bright and fizzy, spicy with ginger, and smoky with Scotch. Think of it as a Penicillin, gone extra-festive.

No new drink of the twenty-first century has gone further in terms of fame than this complex, spicy, smoky turn on a Whiskey Sour. 

This golden-hued turmeric hot toddy from Claire Sprouse of Brooklyn’s Hunky Dory is wonderfully savory from the combination of nutty Amontillado sherry and earthy turmeric.

Inspired by a Sazerac, here's a super boozy, herbal-Scotchy drink that'll relax your shoulders, loosen your tongue, and clear your mind—basically, everything you need a stiff drink to do.

It’s a vodka martini—properly called the Kangaroo—gone savory with peaty Scotch and olives four ways.

Pairing the tangy fruit with Scotch—plus oolong tea that’s been steeped forever—gives a whisper of smoke and a bitter, malty edge to the drink.

Meet the Negroni’s wintery cousin—a combination of rye whiskey and Scotch in place of gin makes it peppery, dry, and wonderfully savory.

Highwest’s Campfire whiskey is a blend of Scotch, bourbon, and rye; a gently peaty blended Scotch is the next best thing.

Like your desserts extra-salted? Just keep adding more and tasting the butterscotch until you reach your personal sweet-salty threshold.

Sweet summer corn makes a surprising star turn in this ultra-creamy dessert flecked with rich butterscotch sauce and crunchy caramel popcorn.

This potent mix of scotch, grapefruit juice, and honey-ginger syrup is a winter-friendly twist on the classic cocktail.

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!

Here's a take on the classic Blood and Sand cocktail, using Flemish-style sour ale or kriek (which means "cherry") lambic instead of cherry liqueur. Lambic is a distinctively Belgian style of beer, made with wild yeast as opposed to the carefully controlled fermentation of conventional ales. It is often flavored with fruit, such as cherries or raspberries. Thanks to Eben Freeman, who serves a version of this drink at Ai Fiori in New York City.

Top-quality Scotch whisky, like Glenfiddich, is smooth and very tasty. When it’s combined with raisins and dark chocolate, the result is flavor heaven.

Next to ice cream (which I consider its own food group), pies are my favorite dessert. This one is an adult version of banana cream pie, with real scotch in the butterscotch (use a blended scotch whiskey, not a single malt). The amount of gelatin is just enough to set the filling, without making it rubbery. For the best texture, be sure to let the pie chill at least 3 hours before serving.

There seems to be no agreement as to the origin of the word “butterscotch.” Some culinary scholars argue that its name is taken from “butter-scorched,” a theory worthy of consideration, since the process does indeed require cooking butter. Yet others academically assert that the term is derived from the word “butter scoring,” as in “cutting.” Not as in, “Dude, I scored some awesome Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream from David!” S0 I’d like to offer my own theory, one that’s a bit simpler: It’s because buttery butterscotch always tastes better with a shot of scotch in it.