If ever there were ever a time to get to know whisky, Burns Night is it. Scotland’s most beloved literary party is held on 25th January and comes complete with haggis, neeps and tatties and some bagpipes if you’re lucky. Here’s the lowdown on what it is, the ritual, some whiskies to try and a cheeky cocktail.
Who Was Robert Burns?
Robert Burns, known as Rabbie to his pals, was Scotland’s national poet, born on 25th January 1759 in Ayrshire. He died young at just 37 but not before writing Auld Lang Syne, penning some epic love poems and composing an entire ode to a haggis, as you do. He also happened to love whisky. Five years after Rabbie died, his friends gathered at his old cottage for dinner and drinks to celebrate him and had such a good time, they decided to do it again. And again. By 1802, they’d worked out it should happen on his birthday and thus Burns Night was born. Two centuries later, it’s gone global - less a solemn memorial and more as a riotous cultural export that gives Scottish expats worldwide an excuse to don tartan and down a dram or six.
The Burns Night Supper Ritual
There’s a proper structure to the Burns Night supper: Guests arrive to the sound of bagpipes, mingle, then sit down for The Selkirk Grace, which gets recited in Scots. Burns didn’t actually write this, but he did popularise it. Next is the main event, beginning with a piper leading in the haggis on a silver platter and everyone stands. Someone is chosen to launch into Burns’s Address to a Haggis, building to the moment when they whip out a ‘sgian dubh’, i.e. the small dagger that lives in the top of a kilt sock and slice the thing open at the line “An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht.” Cue much cheering and a whisky toast before the haggis gets plated up with mashed neeps (swede /yellow turnip) and tatties.
After dinner, The Toast to the Immortal Memory kicks off a whirlwind of toasting. Here, someone reflects on Burns’s life and his poetry, aiming for something profound, funny or ideally both. Next up, it’s the Toast to the Lassies, where a chap gives his take on women (as Burns had many opinions on this front), followed by the Reply to the Laddies, where a woman returns serve. Modern versions tend to be witty rather than earnest, with both speakers trying to out do each other for the lols. When it’s time to toast, you’ll hear “Slàinte Mhath” (slanj-uh va); Gaelic for good health. Look people in the eye, raise your glass and drink. Repeat as required, which will be often.
Whisky Galore
There’s no specific style of whisky associated with Burns Night - as long as it’s Scotch, of course! You’ll see plenty of Islay, Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Campbeltown, Islands… and all as blends, single malts etc. and sometimes, cocktails too!
Want a classic example of each of these key Scotch whisky styles? CLICK HERE.
The Bobby Burns Cocktail
By the time the famous Savoy bartender Harry Craddock featured the Bobby Burns in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, he was calling it “one of the very best whisky cocktails”. Elegantly minimal, his recipe featured equal measures Scotch and sweet Vermouth with three dashes of the bitter, herbal liqueur Bénédictine, stirred with ice and strained into a chilled glass with a twist of lemon. These days, bartenders tinker with the proportions and some switch out the Bénédictine for the sweeter (and more Scottish) Drambuie, which is whisky with heather honey, herbs and spices. Personally, I love the latter. Here’s a great, super simple recipe to try:
The Bobby Burns
Ingredients:
60ml Blended, Highland Scotch Whisky (I love Wolfburn Northland)
25ml Sweet Vermouth (I love Cocchi)
15ml Drambuie
Garnish: Lemon twist or fancy shape
Glassware: Nick & Nora
Method: Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and store well for thirty seconds. Strain into a small Martini or Nick & Nora glass and serve with a lemon twist or if you’re talented, shape the lemon peel into a funky shape. Serve with some shortbread and a smile.
Want to know more about drinks and rituals? Make sure you subscribe. It’s free!
Getting to know Scotch Whisky? Here are some classic styles to try.
I like this look of this Bobby Burns spec. I'll have to give it a go
The evolution of Burns Night from a small cottage gathering to a global cultural phenomenon speaks to the power of ritual over memorialization. Your description of the haggis ceremony—with the sgian dubh and theatrical "ready slicht" moment—captures how Burns Night has maintained its vitality by embracing the performative rather than the somber.
The Bobby Burns cocktail history is particularly interesting. The fact that Craddock was already calling it one of the "very best whisky cocktails" by 1930 suggests these rituals were spreading beyond Scottish borders earlier than most realize. Your preference for Drambuie over Bénédictine in the recipe makes cultural sense—keeping the ingredients within the Scottish family rather than importing French monastic liqueurs.