Drambuie is defined by Wikipedia as…
“a honey- and herb-flavoured golden scotch whisky liqueur made from aged malt whisky, heather honey and a secret blend of herbs and spices. The flavour suggests saffron, honey, anise, nutmeg and herbs.”
The following is an account of the experience of my cousin and me with Drambuie. Pictured below (at the start of our evening) is a picture of my cousin, Brandon – a Captain in the Marine Corps:
We were hanging out at a private bar named Captain’s (hence the Captain was in Captain’s) and I was in a mood to try new drinks. No one had tried Drambuie before, so I decided to be a Drambuie pioneer. I was already a few drinks in and drinks always seem to go down easy at that point. Not so with the Drambuie… As soon as I threw it back, my throat spasmed and I had to choke the shot down which was immediately followed by a fit of coughing. I thought this might have been a one-time event and so two drinks later, I decided I’d give it another try. The chloroform/Red Bull smell of the Drambuie put me off, but I hated the idea that I couldn’t conquer a drink. Down it went. Bad idea… My throat went into full-scale revolt. I couldn’t swallow a drop. My throat just completely seized up and went into lock-down, causing me to spit the Drambuie up all over the bar like a freshman in high school that can’t handle the Bud Light in the beer bong. This was followed by a violent coughing frenzy which ended up hurting my throat so badly that I had a persistent cough for three days. The Drambuie left my vocal chords scorched.
Captain Brandon is a tough, hard-drinking Marine. Seeing me disgrace myself, he felt obligated to step up to preserve the family honor. Captain Brandon was already several drinks in as well and so he was able to force the first Drambuie shot down at about the same level of difficulty I experienced my first time. It made me feel better to see him also having trouble. However, Brandon also felt compelled to try and conquer the Drambuie challenge. So, he had a second shot. The picture below was taken right after the second shot:
As one can see, Brandon is experiencing some difficulty. However, Marines don’t quit. So, Brandon downed a third shot. It might as well have been three strikes and you’re out because Brandon was simply done at that point. He stumbled away from the bar and out onto the balcony where he collapsed into a chair for the next three hours (until I dragged Captain Brandon back into the house and cleaned the vomit off of him before allowing him to pass out again).
Conclusion: Drambuie is not for me and is apparently not for any blood relative of mine. Seriously, it smells and tastes awful – nothing like the Wikipedia definition. I don’t know how anyone drinks the stuff and I’ve had some pretty unusual and extreme drinks. Has anyone else tried Drambuie?
The Velvet Rocket 
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My friends and I always drink Drambuie when on vacation – and we’re middle-aged women! Scary that a Marine can’t hang with a bunch of old ladies!
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Ye hafta be from the old country ta enjoy the taste, laddie.
First and foremost, why would ye attempt to take a wonderful tasting beverage like Drambuie and down a shot in one gulp. That be ye first mistake. It’s made for sippin.
Ye second mistake, not know’un yer limitations.
Ne Obliviscaris
Id imagine slamming Drambuie would be alot like slamming robitussin. I enjoy the the spices in Dram and its great for sipping, best cold cold cold.
LOL…yep…like highlander says…it’s made for sipping….take a sip….roll it around in your mouth…..you will feel your mouth heating up a bit and then swallow it slowly. I call it liquid gold. The taste is simply awesome …
I once let my “wise” mother in law that really knows about shooters “slam” a double Drambuie …. REALLY FUNNY stuff man.
One sip at a time, is the best way to enjoy this lovely treat.
Also so as not to shock any purist but it is dandy over some good ice cream with a mild touch of fruit like a bit of frozen peach or apricot. Savor it and smile. I am an older lady of 87 so I say Marines have to take a lesson in class. To toss a shot off is gauche.
I assure you, Ruth, that we at The Velvet Rocket do our best to avoid coming across as gauche and that that is not an accusation normally leveled at us. While Drambuie may indeed be best enjoyed one sip at a time, perhaps in this instance we may be forgiven if the fact that we were responding to a challenge were taken into account? After all, just imagine the impression that would have been left had The Velvet Rocket or the U.S. Marines Corps run from this challenge? Admittedly, the Drambuie came out on top, but no one can say that we did not give it our best.
I love Drambuie :D I drink it in shots, or sip it, or mix it with ginger ale and lime wedges. Or mix it with ice and whisky for a rusty nail. Delicious. I think it might be my favourite drink.
Shots of Drambuie? You’re tougher than I am… How long have you been drinking it?
I’m not sure. A few years I think. It had a different style of bottle when I first started drinking it. I’m not that tough, but I’m going to drink a shot of Drambuie for you now, Justin. Your health.
i’ve enjoyed Drambuie for over 20 years, and i’m a former Marine Corps sergeant.
maybe that’s the difference between officers and enlisted men. by the way, i drink it straight up in a brandy snifter to enjoy the aroma, sometimes with a twist of lime.
Aye, Marine Corps me arse… The Black Watch drink 1.5 oz. single malt with 1.5 oz. drambuie. Three of those and we’ll kick anyones arse that is still standin.
I love it ……have it on the rocks. Sipping is the best way to enjoy its wonderful flavor.
Doing shots would be bad!
I got a small sample bottle of drambuie and i enjoy it, so thick like honey but much more fun. Can’t wait to get an actual bottle of it and be able to enjoy it on the rocks.