The potent, stirred blend of Scotch and Pedro Ximénez sherry—served up in a pastis-coated Nick & Nora glass and garnished with a lemon twist—reached its final form at Copenhagen’s Ruby in 2007 after shape-shifting at bars in Edinburgh. The subtly sweet and smoky recipe has taken on a life of its own, appearing at bars around the world and in Jim Meehan’s 2011 book, The PDT Cocktail Book.
Rapscallion
Adeline Shepherd | Copenhagen, Denmark
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- heavy 1 1/4 ounces single malt Scotch, preferably Talisker 10
- scant 3/4 ounce Pedro Ximénez sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon pastis, preferably Ricard, to rinse
Garnish: lemon peel
Directions
- Combine the Scotch and sherry in a mixing glass and stir to chill and dilute.
- Pour the pastis into a chilled Nick & Nora glass, then dump the contents out to season it with the liqueur.
- Strain the cocktail into the pastis-rinsed glass, then express a lemon peel over the drink and garnish.
Editor's Note
Many bars also serve this cocktail with a chilled olive, which is a fine alternative to the lemon peel.