Atholl Brose

Name: Atholl Brose
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients: 100 g coarse scottish oatmeal; 300 ml cold water; 100 g scottish heather honey; 200 ml single malt scotch whisky; 200 ml double cream; 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon; 20 g pinhead oatmeal

A luxurious Scottish drink of rich brose oat liquid, fragrant heather honey, single malt Scotch whisky, and softly whipped double cream.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Fife and Tayside

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 5 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 415 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

100 g coarse scottish oatmeal — brose oats
300 ml cold water — filtered preferred
100 g scottish heather honey — clear or slightly set
200 ml single malt scotch whisky — smooth Highland malt
200 ml double cream — chilled
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg — finely grated
¼ tsp Ground cinnamon — fine powder
20 g pinhead oatmeal — for toasted garnish

Equipment

•large mixing bowl
•fine sieve
•muslin cloth
•small saucepan
•balloon whisk
•small frying pan

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 415 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 31 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 3 g
calories: 415 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the coarse oatmeal into a large mixing bowl.
2
Pour cold water over the oatmeal and stir thoroughly.
3
Cover the bowl and steep in a cool place for at least four hours, or overnight.
4
Place a fine sieve lined with muslin over a clean jug.
5
Strain the steeped oatmeal, squeezing the muslin firmly to extract all the creamy brose liquid.
6
Discard the oat solids or reserve them for making morning porridge.
7
Warm the heather honey gently in a small saucepan over low heat until runny.
8
Whisk the warm honey and Scotch whisky into the strained brose liquid until completely dissolved.
9
Lightly whip the double cream in a separate bowl until it forms soft, pillowy peaks.
10
Fold the whipped cream, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon gently into the whisky mixture until smooth.
11
Toast the pinhead oatmeal in a dry frying pan over medium heat for three minutes until nutty and golden.
12
Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with the toasted pinhead oatmeal before serving.

Chef's tips

Allow the oatmeal to steep overnight for the silkiest texture and richest oat flavour. Use a gentle, fragrant Highland whisky rather than a heavily peated Islay malt to avoid overpowering the floral heather honey. Serve thoroughly chilled for the best balance of cream and alcohol.

Ingredient substitutions

Scottish heather honey → wildflower honey or clover honey
double cream → omit entirely for the historic dairy-free clear version
single malt Scotch whisky → good quality blended Scotch whisky

Storage

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to three days, gently shaking before serving.

Reheating

Atholl brose is traditionally served chilled and should not be reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Over-whipping the double cream until stiff, which prevents it blending smoothly with the liquid.
•Failing to squeeze the muslin firmly, leaving valuable starch and flavour behind.
•Boiling the honey, which destroys its delicate floral aroma.

Serving suggestions

Serve chilled in traditional Scottish quaichs or vintage coupe glasses.Pair with rich Scottish shortbread rounds on Hogmanay.Spoon over warm cranachan or steamed clootie dumpling.