CSP Scotch Whisky Cocktails & Mixology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the Penicillin cocktail, what type of Scotch is used as the float on top?
- Highland single malt
- Blended Scotch
- Peated Islay single malt (Correct answer)
- Lowland single malt
Correct answer: Peated Islay single malt
The Penicillin uses a blended Scotch as the base and floats a peated Islay single malt (such as Laphroaig) on top to deliver a smoky aroma on first sip.
Question 2: What makes the Blood and Sand cocktail unique among Scotch cocktails?
- It uses four equal parts of all ingredients (Correct answer)
- It is the only Scotch cocktail served frozen
- It requires aged Scotch over 18 years
- It uses soda water as the lengthening agent
Correct answer: It uses four equal parts of all ingredients
The Blood and Sand is notable for its equal-parts recipe: Scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and fresh orange juice — an unusual formula that balances fruit, spirit, and bitterness.
Question 3: Which technique is most appropriate when combining Scotch with citrus juice in a cocktail?
- Stirring over ice
- Rolling between tins
- Shaking vigorously with ice (Correct answer)
- Building in the glass
Correct answer: Shaking vigorously with ice
Shaking is appropriate when combining Scotch with citrus juice because the agitation integrates the acid and spirit while chilling and diluting the drink properly.
Question 4: What does 'stirring' a Scotch cocktail (instead of shaking) primarily preserve?
- Citrus oils
- Carbonation from mixers
- Clarity and silky texture (Correct answer)
- Egg white foam
Correct answer: Clarity and silky texture
Stirring a spirit-forward Scotch cocktail preserves the drink's clarity and produces a silky, smooth texture, avoiding the cloudiness and aeration that shaking creates.
Question 5: Which Scotch cocktail was named after the hero of the Scottish opera 'Rob Roy' by Reginald De Koven?
- Rusty Nail
- Rob Roy (Correct answer)
- Highland Fling
- Scotch Sour
Correct answer: Rob Roy
The Rob Roy cocktail was created at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York in 1894 to celebrate the opening of the operetta Rob Roy, named after the Scottish folk hero.
Question 6: When making a Scotch Sour, what ingredient is sometimes added to create a frothy top layer?
- Cream
- Egg white or aquafaba (Correct answer)
- Milk
- Simple syrup
Correct answer: Egg white or aquafaba
Egg white (or aquafaba as a vegan substitute) is dry-shaken then wet-shaken into a Scotch Sour to create a stable, frothy foam on top of the drink.
Question 7: What is the Rusty Nail's secondary ingredient alongside Scotch whisky?
- Amaretto
- Drambuie (Correct answer)
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Grand Marnier
Correct answer: Drambuie
The Rusty Nail is made with Scotch whisky and Drambuie, a Scotch-based honey and herb liqueur, typically served over ice in an old fashioned glass.
CSP Scotch Whisky Cocktails & Mixology 3
In the Penicillin cocktail, what type of Scotch is used as the float on top?