The Rob Roy is a Manhattan made with Scotch whisky. Swap the American rye for a blended Scotch and the drink takes on a gentle smoke and a softer, maltier sweetness — the same architecture, in a different national accent.
Everything that makes a Manhattan a Manhattan, rebuilt in Scotch.
Born at the Waldorf
The Rob Roy was created in 1894 at the bar of the original Waldorf Hotel in New York, named for the premiere of Rob Roy, an operetta about the Scottish folk hero. Naming a Scotch cocktail for a Scottish outlaw was simply good marketing — and the name outlasted the show that inspired it.
Blended, Not Single Malt
Reach for a blended Scotch rather than a peaty single malt. The Rob Roy wants a whisky that supports the vermouth instead of fighting it; a heavily smoked Islay malt turns the drink into a bonfire. A soft, honeyed blend keeps everything in balance.
Sweet, Dry, or Perfect
Like the Manhattan, the Rob Roy bends. Sweet vermouth is standard; dry vermouth makes a Dry Rob Roy; a split of both makes it Perfect. Angostura is traditional, though a few dashes of orange bitters flatter the malt beautifully.
The Manhattan Family
The 1880s original — rye or bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters, stirred and served up.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 1 ozSweet vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura bitters
Dry vermouth for sweet — paler and crisper, finished with a lemon twist instead of a cherry.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 1 ozDry vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura
Equal parts sweet and dry vermouth — the balanced middle path between the two.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 1/2 ozSweet vermouth
- 1/2 ozDry vermouth
The forgotten borough cocktail — a drier Manhattan with maraschino and Amer Picon.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 3/4 ozDry vermouth
- 1/4 ozAmer Picon