What Is Drambuie And What Does It Taste Like?

Many people enjoy having an aperitif before dinner in order to get their metabolism going and get them ready for a tasty meal. While there are plenty of different liquors that people can choose from for their pre-dinner digestive, one great-tasting alcohol you can try is Drambuie.

Drambuie is a sweet Scotch whiskey liqueur. This drink has a subtle anise flavor and is noticeably sugary, making it easy to drink, whether it's before a meal or at any other time of day. This liqueur has been around for a long time, too, with its original recipe dating all the way back to the 18th century.

However, it was only in more recent years that this digestive really became popular. During Prohibition, people began using Drambuie to make a cocktail called a Rusty Nail, and since then this drink has gone down in history as a great way to start a meal, end a day, or just relax.

Drambuie is an amber-colored liqueur with an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 40% that, as mentioned earlier, uses aged Scotch whiskey as its base. Besides the Scotch, this drink contains honey made from heather as well as spices and herbs.

The drink was first invented in Scotland in 1745 as a medicinal drink for Bonnie Prince Charlie (formally known as Prince Charles Edward Stuart), and it got its name from the Gaelic words for "the drink that satisfies." When the recipe was first invented, it was kept hush-hush by the prince. However, all that ended when the prince was sent into exile on the Isle of Skye. Eventually, a Scottish clan called MacKinnon helped him escape, and as his way of thanking them, the prince handed over his secret digestive recipe.

Thanks to the prince's decision to share his recipe, Drambuie has continued to be enjoyed for several more centuries. The name Drambuie was patented in 1893, and just 16 years later, the liquor was being produced commercially in Scotland. Today it's sold around the world and enjoyed both on its own and mixed into cocktails.

Drambuie is made by blending Scotch whiskey with the Drambuie Liquor Company's proprietary herb, honey, and spice blend. The exact recipe has never been released to the public, however, so we don't know the exact quantities of each ingredient used or how they're mixed. What we do know is that Drambuie isn't made through distilling — instead, it's essentially a syrup added to a fine, aged Scotch whiskey.

Despite no one (except a few select people at the Drambuie Liquor Company) knowing exactly how to make this drink, there are many people who have created their own DIY versions at home. To make a DIY Drambuie, you'll need ½ cup of water, ⅓ cup of honey, a tablespoon of fresh rosemary, and 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. You'll also need ¾ cups of Scotch whiskey.

Use a mortar and pestle to crush the fennel seeds, then cook them along with the rosemary, honey, and water, over medium heat until the mixture forms a syrup. Let the liquid cool, pour it into a resealable container, add the Scotch, and shake it all together. Then let the mixture steep for three days before straining it, resealing it, and pouring yourself a glass!