Joe Rogers

What to drink on Burns Night

  • From Spectator Life

The Burns Supper is not so much a dinner as it is a celebration of Scotland’s great contributions to poetry, distilling, and sausage making. Even though this year’s celebrations are set to be smaller scale than usual, the 25th of January still represents an opportunity to defy the winter gloom and raise a few glasses of guid auld Scotch drink. A dram or two, taken neat or with water, is traditional for toasting – but this is by no means the only way to enjoy your whisky on Burns night. 

Scotch represents a broader range of styles and flavours than any other spirit and as such has enormous cocktail potential. A good serve can convert purists and whisky-sceptics alike so there’s lots to be gained by getting creative with your malt. 

Speyside Sour 

Sours first appeared on the cocktail scene in the 1850s as a quick and gluggable version of the larger, more elaborate punches popular at the time. The basic formula is spirit, citrus juice, and sugar – perhaps with a little egg white for texture. Kentucky Bourbon is a popular headliner for sours these days, however the right Scotch whisky can really shine in one of these. Here we’re using Glenrothes 10-year-old single malt (£38; Waitrose) which brings lots of vanilla fudge, marmalade, and shortbread flavours to your cocktail.

50ml Glenrothes 10yo 

25ml Lemon Juice 20ml 

Raspberry syrup 

6 mint leaves 

Egg white (one white should do 2 cocktails) 

  • For the raspberry syrup combine 200ml by volume of caster sugar and 200ml of water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat right down and add a couple of handfuls of fresh raspberries (about 200g). Simmer for five to 10 minutes or until the berries have broken down. Leave to cool and then strain into a bottle or jam jar.

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