1 1/2 ounce blended scotch whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes aromatic bitters (angostura)
Orange twist
Brandied or Luxardo cherry
Combine scotch, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a piece of orange peel over the glass to express the oils, and serve neat with a cocktail cherry.
A Rob Roy cocktail is basically just a Manhattan made with Scotch whiskey in place of bourbon or rye. It was named after an operetta that told the story of a great Scottish folk hero who supported the poor. Robert Roy MacGregor was a 17th century outlaw often cited as a sort of Scottish Robin Hood who led battles against noblemen in the Highlands. The operetta, titled Rob Roy, debuted in New York City in 1894, and a bartender at the nearby former Waldorf Astoria Hotel, on the site where the empire state building stands today, created the cocktail for opening night and to publicize the play.
Some cocktail historians however claim that the Rob Roy was actually invented at another luxury hotel, the Fifth Avenue Hotel, down by Madison Square.
In recent years however, cocktail historian David Wondrich has found evidence that a bartender named Henry A. Orphal actually created the Rob Roy while working in Hoboken, N.J, around 1895. A blended Scotch whisky salesman came in wanting a Manhattan, but according to his own company’s policy, he wasn’t allowed to drink anything not containing his own whisky. Orphal’s solution was to swap in 2 ounces of Scotch alongside the sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters.