The Rusty Nail: A Classic Cocktail Recipe

The Rusty Nail is a very easy cocktail to make and will surprise you with its intensity of flavour. It is suggested that the Rusty Nail was invented in 1937 for the British Industries Fair, but considering Drambuie was created in an Edinburgh cellar almost 30 years earlier, it is likely that it had been mixed with whisky long before then. Popularised in the early 1960s by the Rat Pack, the drink became a staple of New York nightlife during that decade.

The Many Names of the Rusty Nail

The cocktail began its life under several different names. For many years following its inception, it was simply referred to as a “B.I.F.” after the British Industries Fair it was created for. As its popularity grew in the United States, it was known by various names depending on the region in which it was ordered.

A Club 21 and Rat Pack Favourite

The Rusty Nail ultimately became the go-to drink at New York’s Club 21. This endorsement—and that of the Rat Pack—firmly established it as a modern classic cocktail.

Naming the Rusty Nail

The name was officially adopted in 1963 when Gina MacKinnon, then chairwoman of the Drambuie Liqueur Company, collaborated with The New York Times to bring nationwide awareness to the cocktail. With a definitive name and growing cultural momentum, the cocktail quickly ascended to iconic status within the mid-century cocktail canon.

Drambuie: The Essential Ingredient

Drambuie, with its distinct blend of botanicals and honeyed whisky liqueur, combines with blended Scotch to create a flavour profile unlike that of any other cocktail. The Rusty Nail recipe has been trademarked to include Drambuie—so while any blended Scotch may be used, it is not a true Rusty Nail unless it contains Drambuie.