Rusty Nail
The Rusty Nail is one of the IBA Unforgettables: 2 ingredients, built in the glass and served in a rocks glass. That makes 81 ml in the glass: a small glass.
MethodBuilt in the glass
GlassRocks glass
In the glass81 ml
Strength34.8%
Ingredients
- 45 mlscotch whisky
- 25 mlDrambuie
Method
- Pour all ingredients directly into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
- Stir gently.
Garnish: Garnish with lemon zest.
What it tastes like
- bitter → sweet
- It leans dry: 1.3 out of 10 of bitterness, 36th of 186.
- round → sour
- No citrus to wake it up: it arrives round, the 2nd least sour of 186.
- light → strong
- In the finished glass, melted ice included, it runs 34.8%: 1st of 186, stronger than 100% of the catalogue.
Of the six drinks in that corner of the map it is the strongest: 34.8% against the 34.0% of its nearest neighbour.
Five that come close
- Old FashionedWith bourbon whiskey in place of scotch whisky.
- Godfather3 degrees lighter and with amaretto in place of Drambuie.
- Black Russian5 degrees lighter and built on vodka.
- SazeracMore bitter and built on brandy.
- Vodka Martini5 degrees lighter and with less bitterness in it.
Every drink near the Rusty Nail on the map
Recipe source: IBA · checked on 30 October 2026