Rob Roy, a Scottish folk hero, inspired a cocktail named after him, made with Scotch whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. The drink was invented during the opening of an operetta in New York in 1894. The recipe is similar to a Manhattan, but with Scotch instead of rye whiskey. A mocktail version is called Roy Rogers.
Scotsman Robin Hood, also known as Robert Roy MacGregor or simply Rob Roy, was a 17th and 18th century folk hero whose brave or reckless deeds were chronicled in a number of fictional accounts, including Daniel Defoe’s novel Highland Rogue , and in Sir Walter Scott’s most familiar novel, Rob Roy. Stories of MacGregor also led to lyrical reworkings, and it was during the opening of the operetta Rob Roy, written by Reginald De Koven, in New York in 1894 that the drink named after the Scotsman Robin Hood was invented. Initially both operetta and drink were equally popular, but the cocktail has now long surpassed De Koven’s operetta in fame.
The Rob Roy cocktail according to the bartending legend, was created at the Waldorf Hotel. However, the most popular recipe for this was printed in The Savoy Book, which wasn’t published until 1930. This book was published by The Savoy Hotel, and states that the drink was popular in Scotland, especially to celebrate the famous bandit.
As a cocktail, the Rob Roy is quite similar to the Manhattan one. The basic and very unique difference between the two cocktails is the type of whiskey used. Manhattan uses rye whiskey, but Rob Roy evokes the Scottish hero by using Scotch whiskey instead. Otherwise, the two recipes are quite similar, although whiskey aficionados might point out the many flavor differences between rye and Scotch whiskey.
The basic recipe for the drink is as follows:
Three parts scotch to one part (or in some recipes one half) vermouth
Dash of bitter (in alcune ricette)
Cherry for garnish.
The drink can be served over ice or shaken into ice and served straight. There are some disagreements on the question of which vermouth to use, since it can be sweet or dry. Some mention another drink, the Perfect Rob Roy, which uses half dry and half sweet vermouth. Most recipes suggest sweet vermouth, but some suggest dry vermouth only. The sweeter version appears more common.
A mocktail or mocktail that refers to Rob Roy, although the reference is almost lost in translation is Roy Rogers. This is a combination of cola and grenadine and is usually garnished with a cherry. It’s actually rare to hear the drink called Roy Rogers these days. Instead the drink may be called grenadines and has also been referred to as Shirley Temple Black. Naming the mocktail after Roy Rogers, the famed cowboy may have been a ploy to get young men to order the drink, if they hated ordering a Shirley Temple, made of lemon soda and grenadine because even the name sounded “Feminine.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
