Rob Roy circa 1894

Neil Hutchison, the co-creator of the Tinker Box, originally hails from Scotland, so pairing up the Tinker Box with a cocktail naturally started there.  We have to head back to late seventeenth and early eighteenth century and meet Robert Roy MacGregor, a Scottish outlaw and folk hero known as the “Scottish Robin Hood” who took part in the Jacobite rising. His life was fictionalized in the “Highland Rogue” (1723) and later in Sir Walter Scott’s “Rob Roy” (1817).  More importantly, of course, was the creation of the famous cocktail in his honor, which occurred at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 1894 to celebrate a new operetta about his life.  A Rob Roy is simply a Scotch Manhattan, that quintessential classic of rye and sweet vermouth, and equally delicious.  Those of us who appreciate a fine single malt scotch would rather not use one in a cocktail, and therefore I prefer to use a blend when making a scotch cocktail.  Luckily Jeff, our consummate host, had the perfect bottle on hand (not to mention an incredible vermouth).  The cocktail was quite satisfying, or at least Neil pretended to like it. He told me something like, “a clean shirt’ll do ye”. That’s good, right?

All kidding aside I’d like to thank Jeff, Brett and Neil for access to the legendary Tinker Box.  It’s incredible to learn that just 6 years ago, Neil had never made a thing out of wood.  Thank goodness someone suggested he try. Cheers and “lang may yer lum reek”!

A couple of Highland Rogues

Rob Roy:

2 oz Blended Scotch

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Orange peel

Stir ingredients together over ice and strain into a favorite glass. Express the orange peel over the glass and drop inside.

Can I have a taste, Neil?