My Bar Bible / Cocktails / Thistle

Thistle in a coupe, drawn with its ingredient layers

Thistle recipe

StirredCoupeNo ice23% ABV

The Thistle is a stirred whiskey cocktail, made with blended Scotch, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters, served in a coupe. It is spirit-forward.

Strength: about 23% ABV in the glass, roughly 21 g of alcohol and about 170 calories per drink (an estimate; brands, sugar and dilution vary).

An equal-parts Rob Roy from the early 1900s.

Thistle ingredients

Blended Scotch45 ml (1½ oz)
Sweet vermouth45 ml (1½ oz)
Angostura bitters2 dashes

Measures for one serve. Open the drink in Bar Bible to scale it to a batch or switch to ounces.

How to make a Thistle

  1. Add everything to a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
  2. Stir until very cold, about 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe.
  4. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Glass
Coupe
Ice
None, served up
Garnish
Lemon twist
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Stirred cocktails

Thistle: quick answers

How strong is a Thistle?
About 23% alcohol once the ice has melted in, roughly 21 g of alcohol per drink. That is an estimate: brands and dilution vary.
How many calories are in a Thistle?
About 170 calories per drink, from the alcohol and the ingredients. An estimate: brands and the amount of sugar change it. Compare every drink in the cocktail calorie chart.
What glass is a Thistle served in?
A coupe, with no ice in the glass.
How many ingredients does a Thistle have?
3 in total: blended Scotch, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. Simple enough to make at home.

Cocktail calorie chart: compare all 1,308 drinks

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