The Origin Of The Rusty Nail, The Rat Pack's Signature Drink

Like many classic cocktails, the Rusty Nail, a 1960s-era favorite made from Scotch whisky and the luxe Scotch-based liqueur Drambuie, has a somewhat mysterious origin story. It's a recipe combination that seems obvious; after all, there's no more natural pairing in the world than a liqueur and the spirit it's made from. While Drambuie has been on the market since the late 19th century, it took at least a few decades before any cocktail resembling the Rusty Nail appeared on record.

Most accounts trace it back to a 1937 British Industries Fair trade show where the drink went by the unimaginative name B.I.F. after the event that birthed it. However, there are also claims that it was invented at a bar in Hawaii in 1942. Versions of the cocktail appeared sporadically under different names. It was listed as a "Little Club #1" in Ted Saucier's 1951 cocktail guide "Bottoms Up" and was reportedly known as a "Mig-21" in military circles. In 1963, by the time the Drambuie Liqueur Company's chairwoman endorsed the cocktail in The New York Times, the "Rusty Nail" moniker had stuck.

One thing's clear, though — much like Entenmann's cakes and Golden Steer steakhouse, the drink was allegedly beloved by Frank Sinatra and the rest of the so-called Rat Pack. According to cocktail expert Dale DeGroff in Liquor.com, "Lore has it that the Rat Pack was enamored with the drink, which may have been responsible for the wide appeal in those years." He also noted that the drink was "a hit at P.J. Clarke's, a favorite late-night haunt of Frank Sinatra."

The Rusty Nail is about as simple a cocktail as they come, consisting of only two ingredients: Scotch and Drambuie. The ratio for the drink may vary based on flavor preference, but, according to Dale DeGroff, a 2:1 ratio of spirit to liqueur is the classic recipe for a reason. To make a Rusty Nail fit for the showbiz elite, combine 1½ ounces of Scotch with ¾ ounces of Drambuie in a cocktail shaker with ice and stir until chilled. Serve in a rocks glass (one of the key types of cocktail glasses to have on your bar cart) over ice and garnish with a citrus peel if you so desire.

There are also variations on the Rusty Nail that substitute different spirits in place of Scotch or add in additional ingredients. A Rusty Spike, for instance, swaps Scotch for bourbon, while a Rusty Compass adds cherry liqueur into the mix. A Clavo Ahumado (that's "Smoky Nail" in Spanish) is made with mezcal instead of Scotch. The quirkily named Donald Sutherland cocktail swaps in Canadian rye whisky (Sutherland is Canadian, which helps explain the name, though there's no evidence he drinks this variation himself). But, of course, the classic Scotch and Drambuie mix is the version made famous by the Rat Pack, so if you want to feel like a mid-century superstar, stick with the original.