Drambuie is a Scottish liqueur made from malt whiskey, heather honey and herbs. Produced in Broxburn, Scotland by the Drambuie Liquor Company, Drambuie has an alcoholic content of 40%, or 80 proof.

The actual ingredients and the exact method of Drambuie’s creation are kept secret from the general public. However, tantalizing hints, such as one manufacturer’s comment “…I remember helping to peel the lemons and (former drambuie patent holder John Ross) used loaf sugar--pure cane sugar and Talisker whisky and saffron,” have emerged from past documents and recollections.

Drambuie’s rich history is almost as flavorful as the drink itself. According to tradition, Rome-born Charles Edward Stuart (“Bonnie Prince Charlie”) became a fugitive following an unsuccessful attempt to invade England via Scotland in 1745. On the run from pursuers, Charles was rescued by Flora MacDonald on the Scottish island of Benbecula. After hiding Charles for a week, Flora bravely rowed the young prince to the island of Skye. From here, supporters smuggled the would-be usurper to France. Charles never saw Flora again, but legend has it that during that fateful week, the two fell in love. Charles created a special alcoholic recipe in honor of his brief stay and fleeting romance and gave the list of ingredients to Captain John MacKinnon, who had loyally helped keep Charles’ whereabouts a secret from authorities.

It’s not certain how much of the tale is fact and how much is fantasy, but the MacKinnon family did in fact end up with the original recipe for drambuie. In the late 19th century, the MacKinnons handed the recipe over to James Ross, who ran the Bradford Hotel on Skye. Ross changed the recipe slightly for the enjoyment of family and friends. One appreciator of Ross’s drink coined it an dram buidheach (“the drink that satisfies”). Because the phrase is roughly similar to “drambuie,” it is often believed, erroneously, that “drambuie” is a shortening of the phrase. However, the literal translation of the compound word “drambuie” is “yellow hills”.

Based upon the enthusiastic local reception of his drink, Ross patented his recipe toward the close of the 19th century. Drambuie was first commercially distributed in 1910. The drink became an exported commodity and reached popularity outside of Scotland. Later, in order to pay family debts following John Ross’s death, the Ross family sold the recipe to another MacKinnon, though this was another coincidence--the two families were not related.

Drambuie quickly reached famous proportions. It was the first liqueur kept in the cellars of the House of Lords and was shipped to British soldiers stationed around the world during World War I. Today, the drink is manufactured under the Drambuie Liquor Company label. However, it is not unheard of for a few die-hard fans to have tried their hands at copying the recipe based on perceived tastes and smells, as well as and a good dash of creativity.

Over the years, enthusiasts have used their imaginations to come up with an impressive set of imaginatively-named cocktails. A few popular drinks that incorporate Drambuie are Black Tartan (with Kahlua and two different whiskeys); the Dancing Leprechaun (Irish whiskey, ginger ale and citrus flavors); Jack Frost (Jack Daniels, grenadine, sweet and sour mix and orange juice) and the Kiltlifter (Scotch and lime juice).