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10 best Scottish drinks to toast the Bard on Burns Night
Whether you'll be part of a Rabbie-loving rabble or sipping at a poetry reading, grab a native tipple
Most nations like a good excuse for a booze-fuelled get-together and, for Scots, 25 January provides one such occasion, as they celebrate the birth of national poet, Robert Burns.
Marked across the world due to the global reach of the poet’s verse, Burns Night commemorates the life and work of the Scottish writer, and gives revellers a chance to drink, eat and raise a glass to some of the nation’s cherished drams.
If you’re lucky enough to find yourself amid a traditional Burns Night celebration, it’s possible you’ll encounter any number of Scottish cultural clichés. Think bagpipes, ceilidhs, tartan kilts, haggis, poetry recitals and, of course, booze – of which whisky is likely to be the toasting drink of choice.
However, being that Scotland is a multicultural country, it’s likely whisky won’t be the only booze on display. A range of locally produced drinks will almost certainly be available.
To help you celebrate Burns Night in style, we’ve suggested a wide range of drinks, each one produced with the kind of craftsmanship that we think would inspire the great man into poetic rapture.
The best Scottish drinks for Burns Night 2024 are:
- Best overall – The Botanist Islay dry gin: £33.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best liqueur for Burns Night – Drambuie: £26.95, Amazon.co.uk
- Best spiced rum – Dark Matter spiced rum: £28, Amazon.co.uk
- Best single malt whisky liqueur – Bruadar: £24.95, Thewhiskyexchange.com
- Best Scottish gin – Edinburgh Gin rhubarb and ginger liqueur: £14.74, Amazon.co.uk
1Drambuie the Isle of Skye liqueur
- Best: Liqueur for Burns Night
- ABV: 40 per cent
- Size: 50cl
Perhaps the most famous of all Scottish liqueurs, Drambuie is a heady mix of aged scotch whisky with smooth heather honey and warming spices. It’s most commonly found waltzing with a whisky accompaniment in the sporran-rousing “rusty nail” cocktail but its complex, herbal flavours work just as well poured neat over ice.
2Bruadar malt whisky liqueur
- Best: Single malt whisky liqueur
- ABV: 24 per cent
- Size: 70cl
This is a highly sippable Perthshire liqueur. The addition of sloes brings a tart hedgerow fruitiness to proceedings, while the honey mellows the single malt burn. At 24 per cent, it’s relatively forgiving for a whisky-based liqueur, but a wee dram or two of this will calm pre-ceilidh nerves, adding height and panache to any attempted Highland fling.
The verdict: Scottish drinks for Burns Night
Whisky may be the traditional tipple of Scotland, but the local botanicals in The Botanist’s brilliant gin make it our top choice for a wilder drink this Burns Night. Meanwhile, classics such as Drambuie are likely to hit the spot, while ciders and pale ales provide something a little more sessionable. Slainte!
Why not whet your whistle with our review of the best vermouths, or the best gins for your home bar?
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