FOOD NEWS
Rusty Nail: The 2-Ingredient Cocktail Beloved By Frank Sinatra
BY NIKITA EPHANOV
The Rusty Nail is a two-ingredient cocktail that mixes Scotch with Drambuie, a whisky liqueur flavored with herbs and honey. It was a favorite of iconic musician Frank Sinatra.
Likely invented at a trade show in the 1930s, the drink was a hit in the 1960s and '70s in bars like P.J. Clarke's in New York City, where Sinatra helped popularize it.
The Rusty Nail is simple, but the proportions vary between recipes. Many recipes recommend three-part Scotch whisky to one-part liqueur.
This recipe provides the drink with a stronger alcoholic taste with a balanced sweetness. However, some recipes call for equal parts of each for a sweeter flavor.
Many versions also toss in a dash of bitters before stirring the cocktail with ice and pouring it into a glass. One thing most recipes agree on is the use of a lemon peel garnish.