The 2011 Culloden Rematch
In 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart clashed with a Redcoat force in an attempt to bring the House of Stuart back to the English throne.
The Battle of Culloden didn’t go well for the Jacobites, they lost around 1,500 men to the Redcoat’s 50, and the Rebellion was stopped in its tracks.
However, the fractious folk at Drambuie thought it was high time the Jacobites were given a second chance, and so London’s Albannach Bar become the setting for a Drambuie Rebellion – The Culloden Rematch.
The Teams
Both Jacobite and Redcoat teams had a non-competing team captain directing the strategy and tactics of their troops throughout a variety of challenges that tested teamwork, drinkmanship and bar knowledge.
The Redcoats
- Matthew Dakers (Team Captain)
- Kelly O’Brien
- Kyle Wilkinson
- Ash Bovey
- Raf Shibbi
The Jacobites
- Adam Elmegirab (Team Captain)
- Cat Rand
- Matt Mustard
- Will Humphery
The Rounds
Code Breaker
First up was a code breaking round, an essential skill for any battle group. Each team captain was given a number between 1-9, and this number had to be passed from team member to team member non verbally, without the opposing team cracking the code and guessing the number.
After much arm-waving and rolling of eyes, both teams completed the task, codes intact, and it was battle honours even at the end of round one.
Next came a mystery box cocktail round
Each team nominated a member to create a drink using Drambuie and some surprise ingredients at short notice.
Ash Bovey went first, for the Redcoats:
Tax ‘Em
- 25ml Aperol
- 25ml Basil syrup
- 50ml Drambuie
- Fresh mint
Shake ingredients and serve on crushed ice in an Old Fashioned glass.
Next came William Humphery for the Jacobites:
Live and Let Love
- 20ml Aperol
- 50ml Drambuie
- 2.5 Drops Spanish bitters
- Sprig of Thyme
Shake ingredients and serve in a cocktail glass.
Marks were awarded for taste, appearance and visibility of Drambuie, with the Jacobites edging ahead in this round.
The Speedy Nail round
Things soon got messy, as the speedy nail round challenged each team to make as many Rust nails as possible in one minute. Marks would be deducted for incomplete or out of spec drinks and spillages.
Kelly O’Brien went first for the Redcoats, scoring a final total (after deductions) of 11, and Cat Rand smashed out 9 for the Jacobites. At this point it became obvious that this Culloden Rematch was going to be much closer than the original.
Teamwork Challenge
[stextbox id=”custom” float=”true” width=”365″][/stextbox]Teamwork and the ability to improvise are key military skills, and the next round tested both.
Using nothing but lengths of string, both teams would race to pour a miniature bottle of Drambuie and three ice cubes into a glass. Much like Iraqi weapons inspectors, the judges watched for illegal handling of munitions, and general cheating.
It looked like the Redcoats would storm this challenge, as their Drambuie was poured in seconds, but bungled ice cube manipulation let them down, and the Jacobites nailed it… just.
Twisted Nail Round
Next came the Twisted Nail round, in which each team had pre-prepared a contemporary twist on the Rusty Nail.
Kyle Wilksinson went first for the Redcoats:
The French Connection
- 10ml Green Chartreuse
- 20ml Talisker
- 20ml Italian White Wine
- 4 Dashes orange bitters
- 40ml Drambuie
Build and stir till chilled, serve in a vintage glass. Mist with orange zest, then garnish with a fresh orange zest.
Matthew Mustard followed up for the Jacobites
Nail in the Redcoat’s Coffin
- 25ml Drambuie
- 25ml Lagavulin
- 2 Drops barrel aged bitters
- Pinch cinnamon
- 15ml Agave Syrup
Stir down until chilled, serve in an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a Port float and orange zest.
Kyle’s drink just nicked it, but even now the scores were so close, a good performance in the remaining two rounds would win it for either team.
Eyes Nailed Shut and Eggheads rounds
The penultimate round saw Jacobite Cat Rand and Redcoat Raf blindfolded while making a Rusty Nail, guided only by the voice commands of their team captains.
Matthew Dakers instructions came out on top, and the Redcoats won by almost 40 seconds, which saw them enter the final quiz round slightly ahead of the Jacobites.
The teams then faced-off in an ‘Eggheads’ style bar-related quiz, with questions on cocktail specs, responsible service of alcohol, the history of Drambuie and general bar knowledge.
This over, the judges retired to add up the points and declare the winners.
History repeats itself
It was an incredibly close thing, but a great performance in the quiz round saw the Redcoats once again triumph over the Jacobile rebels:
- Redcoats Points: 217
- Jacobite Points: 206
For their efforts, the battle-weary soldiers each received an iPad and an engraved trophy.
Congratulations to the triumphant colonial power, but don’t let your guard down – the Jacobites will want bloody revenge next year.