Drambuie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drambuie (pronounced /dræmˈbjuːi/) is a honey- and herb-flavoured golden scotch whisky liqueur made from aged malt whisky, heather honey and a secret blend of herbs and spices. The flavor suggests saffron, honey, anise, nutmeg and herbs.
It is produced in Broxburn, Scotland, and can be served straight-up, on ice, or used as an ingredient in a mixed drink, such as the Rusty Nail cocktail. It can also be served as a Flaming Drambuie. A measure is served in a high glass tumbler. The spirit is swirled around gently to give the side of the glass a light coating of alcohol, which is then lit. The drinker immediately places their hand over the top of the glass and the alcohol burns the oxygen sealed in the glass to create a noticeable vacuum effect. As soon as the flame is extinguished the drinker drains the glass in one go. A variant of this is for the drinker to then put a straw in the glass afterwards and inhale the remnants of the glass through the nose.
Drambuie can also be used as an ingredient in cookery, such as in the dessert Drambuie Creams[1].
The alcoholic content of this liqueur is 40% (80° proof).
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[edit] Etymology
The name Drambuie comes from the Scottish Gaelic phrase an dram buidheach, meaning the drink that satisfies. It was coined first at the Broadford Inn in 1893 where it was sold to patrons.
[edit] History
In 1746, Prince Charles Edward Stuart fled to the isle of Skye. There, he was given sanctuary by Captain John MacKinnon of Clan MacKinnon. According to family legend, after staying with the Captain, the prince rewarded him with this prized drink recipe. (This version of events is disputed by historians- some believe it to be a story concocted to boost sales of the drink). [2] The original recipe was given in the late 19th century by MacKinnon to James Ross. Ross ran the Broadford Hotel in the Isle of Skye, he developed and improved the recipe, initially for his friends locally. It was one of these friends who coined the name, meaning "the drink that satisfies". Ross then sold it further afield even to France and the United States. It was Ross who patented it, in London.
Tragically he died young, and to pay for their children's education, his widow was obliged to sell the recipe, by coincidence to a different MacKinnon family, in the early 20th century. The MacKinnon family has been producing the drink since.
The first commercial distribution of Drambuie in Edinburgh was in 1910. Only twelve cases were originally sold. In 1916, Drambuie became the first liqueur to be allowed in the cellars of the House of Lords, and Drambuie began to ship world wide to stationed British soldiers. In the 1980s, the producers of Drambuie began to advertise the liqueur. More recently work has been done to strengthen the reputation of the brand after a downturn in popularity and sales.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Drambuie Creams", Recipe for Drambuie Creams.
- ^ Banks, Iain (2003). Raw Spirit: In Search of the Perfect Dram. London: Century. ISBN 978-1844131952.
- ^ "Drambuie", Leisure and Tourism PR Campaign, Public Relations Consultant Scotland, Profile Plus. Retrieved 08-14-2007.
