Drambuie

Scottish Highland Liqueur (version of Drambuie)

Drambuie is a golden liqueur based on the finest Scotch malt whisky, sweetened with a hint of heather honey and flavoured with herbs, prepared from a legendary secret recipe. Drambuie is a whisky liqueur made from a blend of grain and malt whiskies from the Speyside and Highland regions which is then mixed with a honeyed "elixir" that combines to give the liqueur it's distinct syrupy consistency and it's bright flavours of: honey, cloves, anise, cinnamon, citrus zest, ginger and light floral aromas.

History

1745 - The isle of Skye is rich in its own individual Scottish history, legends, myth and magic - none more so than the romantic tale of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the rebel with a cause, whose life was protected by the young Flora Macdonald, the young lady who rowed him to safety, immortalised in the Skye Boat song. Members of the MacKinnon clan too were to be part of the story in helping the Prince escape the enemy. His gift in gratitude of their support was a precious recipe which has been passed down through several generations of the MacKinnon family and today this honey-sweet golden drink is still enjoyed by millions across the world.

The gift of the Prince was preserved by the MacKinnon family, who concocted variations of the ancient recipe - which became known locally on Skye as "dram buidhe", the yellow drink, or "an Dram Buidheach", meaning the drink that satisfies. This is the origin of the Drambuie Liqueur we know across the world today.

Homemade Drambuie

A Scottish type of honey, and a blended Scottish malt whisky is not a problem, but the secret herbs and spices are. I suspect it is a variation of the flavored whiskys (uisge beatha/usque baugh) popular in the 18th century before cognac making techniques were adopted. Early whisky was a raw (clear) unaged spirit. It was commonly taken with herbs and spices to give it flavour and medicinal effects. From Smith's 1729 work 'The Compleat Book of Distilling', we learn that mace, cloves, nuts, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, cubeb pepper and saffron were once integral ingredients in making usquebaugh or whisky. There are recipes for Drambuie around which are not convincing to me, but obviously some find them satisfactory, and are an alternative to commercial essences.

According to the book, the name Drambuie is derived from Gaelic words "an dram buidbeach" which means the drink that satisfies.

1) Homemade Drambuie
(from 'Classic Liqueurs' by C. Long & H. Kibbey)

750 ml Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch
1 1/2 cups mild honey
2 tsp dried chopped angelica root
1/4 tsp crushed fennel seeds
2-50 mm strips of lemon zest

Combine ingredients in a glass jar. Cover tightly and shake several times during the first 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the lemon zest. Cover again and let stand cool, dark place for 2 weeks, shaking gentley every other day. Strain through stainer to remove angelica root and fennel. Return to aging container, cover, and let stand undisturbed in cool, dark place for 6 months. Strain. Allow to age for 6 months. Decant and bottle.

Drambuie Clone Recipe

I do not claim to have figured out the age old secretes of Drambuie with this recipe. It will, however, produce a reasonable likeness that is quite tasty.

.25 teaspoon dried rosemary
.25 teaspoon fennel seed
1 cup honey (heather if you are lucky enough to find it)
3 cups of good Scotch
1 quart jar with lid

Add rosemary and fennel to the jar with scotch and seal with a lid. Shake vigorously daily for about a week. Strain out the herbs, add the honey, and shake vigorously. Decant into an attractive bottle after about a month.

Usquebaugh
from http://www.artisan-distiller.net/

I have collected recipes for 'Usquebaugh' from 1651 to 1910 which should throw some light to possible ingredients in Drambuie. I trust my palate enough to say that there is one of the anise, fennel, licorice flavorings in Drambuie, and if there's any coriander, it's in trace quantities. A bit of some citrus oils I could believe, and saffron just may be a really interesting flavor. The raisins don't seem likely to me.

Since Drambuie (and the later Glayva) have a citrus note, I would be inclined to start experimenting with the 1861 recipe 7) which is contemporary to the first mention of the making of a whisky liqueur on Skye in 1892. Commercially Drambuie was first made in 1906. A good peaty single malt whisky should be the base and the sweetening should be with an aromatic floral honey similar to heather honey,

1) 'Usque-bath or Irish Aqua Vitae is made thus' (1651 - John French - The Art of Distillation Book 2)
1 litre unaged spirit
200 ml (3/4 cup) sweet sherry
200 g raisins
12 g pitted dates
12 g cinnamon
6 g nutmeg
6 g liquorice root
Macerate for 6-8 days and strain

2) Usquebath (1655 - The Queens closet opened)
1 litre unaged spirit
100 g raisins
100 g pitted dates
100 g dried figs
60 g crushed aniseed
60 g liquorice root
7 g cinnamon
7 g nutmeg
7 g ginger
0.065 g musk
0.065 g ambergris
1/2 cup sugar
Macerate all the ingredients except the musk,ambergris and sugar for 10 days. Strain. Add sugar, musk and ambergris.

3) Irish usquebaugh (1736 - John Bradley - The Country Housewife and Lady's Director)
1 litre brandy
100 g raisins
25 g figs
6 g liquorice root
6 g aniseed
6 g fennel seed
1.5 g coriander seed
0.75 g musk
3 g saffron
Macerate all the ingredients except the musk and saffron for 9 days.
Strain. Soak saffron in a bag for 2 days. Add musk.

4) Escubac (1764 - Le Dictionnaire de l'Agronome, France. Originally the liqueur was called Usquebac, but commonly called Escubac or Scuba)
1 litre unaged spirit
3 drops lemon oil
3 drops sweet orange oil
3 drops bitter orange oil
0.5 g vanilla bean
1 g mace
1 g angelica seed
0.5 g corainder seed
2.5 g saffron
Macerate ingredients in the alcohol and redistill. Add 300 g sugar and 2.5 g saffron.

5)Scuba (? - France)
1 litre unaged spirit 40%abv
40 g juniper berries
1 g aniseed
1 g coriander seed
1.3 g cinnamon
1 g mace
0.8 g cloves
13 g pitted dates
13 g raisins
1.3 g Chinese jujubes
Macerate and redistill

6) Uskueba (1755 - The Olde Cookery Book, Sweden)
1 litre unaged spirit
25 g aniseed
25 g fennel seeds
25 g coriander
25 g red cinnamon (Chinese?)
25 g white cinnamon
40 g mace
12.5 g cloves
12.5 g violet (root?)
12.5 g liquorice root
12.5 g dill seeds
12.5 g hyssop
Add later -
12.5 g saffron
400 g raisins
400 g prunes or dates
Macerate crushed spices in alcohol and redistill. Add saffron, raisins, dates or prunes and macerate for 1 week. Strain. sweeten to taste. Dilute to a suitable strength.

7) Usquebaugh (1861 - Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific
Secrets, Canada)
1 litre brandy
100 g raisins
7 g cinnamon
7 g cloves
7 g nutmeg
7 g cardamon
3.5 g saffron
3 strips Seville orange peel (bitter orange)
Macerate for 10 days. Strain. Add 1/2 cup raw sugar.

8) Usquebaugh (1881 - The Household Cyclopedia, USA)
1 litre brandy
1.5 g nutmeg
1.5 g cloves
1.5 g cinnamon
3 g aniseed
3 g caraway seed
3 g coriander seed
6 g liquorice root
Macerate crushed spices in alcohol and 250 ml of water and redistill.
Steep 1.5 g of saffron for 2 days. Sweeten with sugar. It is recommended to add the following -
Steep in 250 ml of water for 12 hours 45 g raisins, 35 g dates, 20 g liquoric root. Strain and add to the above distillate.

9) Whiskey Cordial (1881 - The Household Cyclopedia, USA)
1 litre unaged spirit 50%abv
250 ml water
2 g cinnamon
2 g ginger
2 g coriander seed
1 g mace
1 g cloves
1 g cubeb pepper
Macerate and redistill
Steep in 250 ml of water for 12 hours the following:
3.5 g saffron
45 g raisins
35 g dates
20 g liquorice root
Strain and add to the above distillate.

10) Usquebaugh (1910 - The Scientific American Cyclopedia of
Formulas, USA)
1 litre brandy or unaged spirit
8 g dates
8 g raisins
2.5 g juniper berries
1.5 g mace
1.5 g cloves
1.25 g coriander seeds
1.25 g aniseed
0.5 g cinnamon
Macerate with agitation for 14 days. Strain. Add 300 ml simple sugar syrup. Color with 1.75 g of saffron.

11) Usquebaugh (1910 - The Scientific American Cyclopedia of
Formulas, USA)
1 litre brandy or unaged spirit
2.5 g pimento
2.5 g carraway seeds
1.5 g mace
1.5 g cloves
1.5 g nutmeg
6 g aniseed
6 g coriander seed
6 g angelica root
150 g raisins
Macerate with agitation for 14 days. Strain. Add simple sugar syrup.
Color with 1.75 g of saffron.