Scotch Whisky Is Par For The (Old) Course At Saint Andrews
Part 4 of our series on golf themed cocktails focuses on drinks related to the British Open. Scotland is the birthplace of golf, home to its own unique whisky (that’s the Scottish spelling, American whiskeys include the ‘e’) and the country with the most current Open Championship venues at five.
British Open Golf Courses
Scottish courses in the current rota include the Old Course at The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the Royal Troon Golf Club, Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Carnoustie Golf Links and Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland (their 2017 vote to allow female members overturned their gender discriminatory policy which temporarily got the course banned in 2016 as a future host).
The four English golf clubs in The Open’s modern rotation are Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Royal Saint George’s in Sandwich, Royal Liverpool in Hoylake and Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland now rounds out the ten venues and was the site of the 2019 British Open after last hosting in 1951.
Final rounds are normally played on the weekend containing the third Friday in July. Future British Open tournament dates include July 20-23, 2023 at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, England; July 14-21, 2024 at Royal Troon, Troon, Scotland; July 13-20, 2025 at Royal Portrush, Portrush, Northern Ireland and July 12-19, 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England.
The tournament may be named after its neighbor as part of Great Britain, but the Scots invented the game of golf on the Old Course at Saint Andrews. So it seems appropriate to start off our list of links libations by paying homage with some good scotch whisky cocktail recipes monikered to match that you can mix up at your home bar.
British Open Golf Themed Cocktails
Scotch Smash:
- 1 ½ oz Scotch
- 1 tsp sugar or simple syrup
- 3 sprigs mint leaves
Celebrate that long drive you smashed which set up the next series of shots for birdie. Gently muddle the mint and sugar in a double old fashioned glass. Add crushed ice, stir in the whisky and garnish with a mint sprig. Some smash recipes also include a dash of orange bitters
These next two drinks may remind you of the links style courses used in the rotation for the British Open which are all loaded with sand traps and other hazards.
Blood and Sand:
- ¾ oz Scotch whisky
- ¾ oz sweet vermouth
- ¾ oz cherry brandy or liqueur
- ¾ oz blood orange juice
This mixed drink is one of only a few truly classic cocktails to feature scotch in the recipe. The sand part of the name may remind you of the bunkers while the first part probably hints at one of the other hazards which can bloody your knuckles swinging out of or through them.
Neither of those is actually true of course. Its named after the 1922 movie starring Rudolph Valentino and the remakes of the film later which cast Rita Hayworth and Sharon Stone in the leading female roles. This drink’s blood orange juice makes the flavor and the color a little more intense than the regular OJ in the classic recipe. You’ll be seeing red and that’s no bull.
The first version is still a good story to tell your golf buddies around the bar until they figure it out though. Add all the ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker
Sand Trap:
- 1 ½ oz Scotch
- ½ oz sweet vermouth
- ½ oz cherry liqueur or brandy
- ½ oz lemon juice
This is a twist on the Blood and Sand cocktail substituting the juice of lemons for blood oranges and using different recipe proportions as well. Now if all these recipes are too complicated, you could just enjoy your whisky straight up or on the rock a.k.a a big round ice ball which visualizes the golf theme of all these drinks.
Damn The Weather:
- 1 ½ oz gin
- 1 tbs sweet vermouth
- 1 tsp orange liqueur
- 1 oz orange juice
Golfers worldwide suffer from bad weather delays and cancellations, but the British Isles and Scotland may have arguably the worst reputation for wind and rain. So if you’re home behind the bar instead of playing a round, this drink will help weather the storm.
The Putting Mixture – Let’s Haggis Some Kümmel First To Calm Our Nerves
The pros who win the British Open may raise the Claret Jug as a victory trophy, but the members hoist something other than red wine in preparation of conquering their home course. They prefer to get the golf ball rolling, so to speak, with a nip of the herbal liqueur known as Kümmel (also spelled kimmel, or kummel) that’s flavored with anise, caraway seeds and cumin.
Back in the old days the members used to have a wee nip in the locker room before they went out and always put a couple of drops on their hands to give a better grip on the leather. They used to call it the ‘putting mixture.’
You can’t come to Prestwick and not have a Kummel. In fact, Prestwick Golf Club is the biggest purchaser of Mentzendorff Kummel in the world. We buy it by the pallet-load!
No one knows for sure when or why drinking Kummel before a round of golf in the British Isles became such a tradition, but some speculate a Scottish regiment brought it home after fighting in countries during World War II where the liqueur was popular.
The origins are long lost in folklore, but it is the thing to do, like a pint after rugby or a Pimm’s after tennis.
Just exactly how nippy your nip needs to be to take away the yips is a matter of personal preference. A shot of the putting mixture can be with or without ice. St. George’s Hill and Prestwick pour it from the refrigerator, while Luffness and Muirfield serve their Kummel straight from the freezer.† You’ll have to judge for yourself though.
Perhaps This Twosome Would Be The Perfect Weekend Pairing
Of course, you could always pair some Scotch whisky and Kümmel together for a second round of British Open golf drinks like in the Vowel Cocktail and a few others. « Click through for more examples of this combo.
Irish There Was A Drink To Toast Ireland Being Back In The Rotation Again
Well, it turns out there is!
Cameron’s Kick:
- 1 ½ oz Scotch whisky
- 1 ½ oz Irish whiskey
- ¾ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz almond (orgeat) syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with lemon zest twist.
This cocktail embodies the spirit of both nations, but you’ll barley notice the jolt.
Last, But Certainly Not Least – The Golfer’s Favourite
Voted the drink of drinks by thousands of golfers, the Whisky MacDonald a.k.a Whisky Mac is a lock on the links and should be at your course as well. Plus, it just might be a cure for what ails you. Literally!
More Rounds Of Refreshments »
The Masters Golf Drinks PGA Championship Golf Drinks US Open Golf Cocktails
References
