The Rob Roy is a cocktail created in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. The drink was named in honor of the premiere of Rob Roy, an operetta by composer Reginald De Koven and lyricist Harry B. Smith loosely based upon Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor. The Rob Roy is similar to a Manhattan but is made exclusively with Scotch whisky, while the Manhattan is traditionally made with rye and today commonly made with bourbon or Canadian whisky.
Like the Manhattan, the Rob Roy can be made sweet, dry, or perfect. The standard Rob Roy is the sweet version, made with sweet vermouth, so there is no need to specify a sweet Rob Roy when ordering. A dry Rob Roy is made by substituting dry vermouth for the sweet vermouth. A perfect Rob Roy is made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.
The Rob Roy is usually served in a cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon twist (for the perfect and dry versions), or maraschino cherry (for the sweet version).
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