This Sunday, January 25, 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great Scottish poet and patriot, Robert Burns.

A traditional Burns night involves piping (yes, that's bagpipes), cock-a-leekie soup, haggis, cheese and bannocks, poetry readings, toasts, and, of course, the consumption of liberal amounts of Scotch whisky!

The BBC has created an excellent website for you to brush up on your Burns.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/robertburns/

Now, even if you sitting down to a meal of haggis and clootie pudding, its easy enough to raise your glass to the Ploughman Poet and author of Auld Lang Syne, Scots Wha Hae, and Tam O'Shanter.

If you don't like your Scotch neat, you can try one of the following:
-The Rob Roy (aka Scotch Manhattan) made from a shot of scotch, a half shot of sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters. Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
-The Bobbie Burns made from a shot of scotch, a half shot of Drambuie (A Scotch and honey liqueur) and a dash of bitters. Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
-The Horse's Neck made from a shot of scotch, a half shot of lemon juice, a dash of bitters put into a glass filled with ice and topped with ginger ale.