Before we travel back in time, here's a practical gift: the complete ingredient shopping list to build this drink at home. Now, the legend.
The Rusty Nail was born in post-Prohibition America, but it was the "Rat Pack" of the 1960s that made it a legend. The story goes that Frank Sinatra discovered it at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, fell in love with it, and made it the Rat Pack's house drink. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop drank it with Frank during long Las Vegas evenings at the Sands Hotel.
The cocktail's simplicity, only Scotch whisky and Drambuie, reflects the era's aesthetic: elegant, uncomplicated, deeply male. The name probably comes from the expression "dirty and rusted," a reference to Drambuie's amber color. Today the Rusty Nail is a living museum of 1960s mid-century elegance, a time capsule in two ingredients.
Behind every legendary cocktail there's a well-organized bartender. That's why I recommend a good barman kit like this one on Amazon: it includes everything essential for home bartending, with quality and a fair price. And if you love entertaining, a professional cocktail bar station is the investment that makes every evening feel like a real bar night.