First and foremost, the Rusty Nail is a stone-cold classic dating back about 100 years. The cocktail gained traction in the late 1950s leading into the Rat Pack peak era of the early 1960s.

The cocktail has mysterious origins, but it is known to have been popularized in the 1960s by the Rat Pack. Its widespread consumption as a post-dinner nightcap lasted for decades, but it ...

Yes, the Rusty Nail as it is normally conceived—scotch and Drambuie, either 2:1 or even equal parts (God forbid), served on ice without garnish or bitters—is two-dimensional and oversweet.