Bobby Burns

About the Bobby Burns

Named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns, though the connection is the name alone, the Bobby Burns was printed in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book and is a Rob Roy adjacent cocktail that pairs Timber Creek Florida Single Malt Whiskey with sweet vermouth and a barspoon of Benedictine, finished with a lemon twist. The Benedictine is a small addition that changes the whole character of the drink, adding a honeyed, herbal sweetness on top of the standard whiskey and vermouth combination. Timber Creek Florida Single Malt Whiskey is well equipped to carry that extra layer of complexity, since the distillery’s grain to glass process gives the whiskey a genuine malt depth and gentle smoke that can stand up to both the vermouth and the Benedictine without getting lost between them.

To build it, stir the whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Benedictine together with ice until well chilled and properly diluted, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the lemon twist over the surface before dropping it in, letting the citrus oil settle over the drink. This is a rich, slow sipping cocktail that pairs naturally with the suggested haggis, smoked salmon, and lamb chops, leaning into its Scottish inspired profile.

Oatcakes and cheddar cheese round out a simpler, more casual spread if that’s more your speed, and the whole pairing makes a fitting choice for a Burns Night dinner or any evening with a Scottish theme. As with most stirred, all spirit cocktails, the Bobby Burns is stronger than its smooth, honeyed character might suggest, so it’s worth taking your time with it, drinking water in between rounds, and making sure you’ve got a safe way home before you’ve had your last one. Savor it the way you would a good single malt on its own, one unhurried glass at a time, giving each sip room to open up.

Named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns, though the connection is the name alone, the Bobby Burns was printed in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book and is a Rob Roy adjacent cocktail that pairs Timber Creek Florida Single Malt Whiskey with sweet vermouth and a barspoon of Benedictine, finished with a lemon twist. The Benedictine is a small addition that changes the whole character of the drink, adding a honeyed, herbal sweetness on top of the standard whiskey and vermouth combination. Timber Creek Florida Single Malt Whiskey is well equipped to carry that extra layer of complexity, since the distillery’s grain to glass process gives the whiskey a genuine malt depth and gentle smoke that can stand up to both the vermouth and the Benedictine without getting lost between them.

To build it, stir the whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Benedictine together with ice until well chilled and properly diluted, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the lemon twist over the surface before dropping it in, letting the citrus oil settle over the drink. This is a rich, slow sipping cocktail that pairs naturally with the suggested haggis, smoked salmon, and lamb chops, leaning into its Scottish inspired profile.

Oatcakes and cheddar cheese round out a simpler, more casual spread if that’s more your speed, and the whole pairing makes a fitting choice for a Burns Night dinner or any evening with a Scottish theme. As with most stirred, all spirit cocktails, the Bobby Burns is stronger than its smooth, honeyed character might suggest, so it’s worth taking your time with it, drinking water in between rounds, and making sure you’ve got a safe way home before you’ve had your last one. Savor it the way you would a good single malt on its own, one unhurried glass at a time, giving each sip room to open up.