Happy first full work week of the year. To kick off 2025, I had a challenge. During the holidays, I went to my sister’s house and there she had a bottle of Ardbeg Wee Beastie that was to live there for when my father or myself came to visit and wanted a tasty smoky beverage. However, Upon opening said bottle, the collective response was that the Wee Beastie was…decidedly not very good. Now prior to this, I had never had it before either. I tried it and while it’s probably not in the top few Islay Scotches I would order at a bar, it is certainly not the worst whisky I’ve ever had. Because I found it at least drinkable, I was challenged by the family to make something with this scotch. My mind immediately went Penicillin, but I was lacking some ingredients to make the syrup for that (don’t worry, that will happen soon…). What I did find was a smoky dry martini that uses whisky instead of dry vermouth and decided that was the move to see if I could accomplish the goal.

2.5 oz. London Dry gin
.25 oz blended Scotch whisky* 
Lemon twist for Garnish

Add the gin and scotch into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

*The recipe does have a note about reducing the scotch if you use an Islay single malt. I deferred to the original amounts because I wanted a stronger drink, and adding less than the quarter ounce could get tricky trying to get the ratios right.*

Not as smoky on the nose as anticipated. Islay scotches are known for their peat, I figured even a quarter ounce would be more pronounced. I get slight hints of the peat, but I get more lemon on the nose than I anticipated.

This isn’t what I expected at all. I expected a little more of the smoky flavors to permeate, but that isn’t the case. I guess I should have lowered my expectations since there is only a bit of whisky in here as a vermouth replacement, but I was hoping for more. What the whisky and peat flavors do accomplish though, is overtaking the majority of the dry herbal flavors brought by the gin. It’s almost to the point that the gin is almost completely lost. Mrs. Sharkbait tried mine and she compared it to a strong, but watered down scotch, or a somewhat flat scotch and soda. We both agreed that the latter phrase is a bit too harsh for this what this drink brings to the table, butt’s not too far off. To improve it, Mrs. Sharkbait suggested an olive to hers. I’ll pass on that thank you very much but I think she’s on to something with the salty briny flavors. I can see this pairing decently well with a dozen or so oysters (Wellfleets of course)

Overall, we both agree it’s passable. Mrs. Sharbait said all things equal, she would rather have the scotch. I agree. I don’t think this is a waste by any means, but there is room for improvement. That being said, I don’t know if I’d go out of my way to make this. I think I would prefer the whisky or a gin martini. However, if I’m out of dry vermouth and had a hankering for a dry martini, I could be talked into making this in a pinch.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)