“The Rusty Spike emerged organically as a natural variation of the Rusty Nail during American whiskey's cultural renaissance, with no singular documented origin. As the Rusty Nail (Scotch and Drambuie) gained prominence in the mid-20th century as a Rat Pack favorite, it was inevitable that bartenders would experiment with substituting bourbon for Scotch. The "Spike" name likely nods to the "Nail" in the original while suggesting a more "American" character. This represents the ongoing dialogue between American and Scottish whiskey traditions, using quintessentially Scottish Drambuie with America's native bourbon spirit. While never achieving the widespread fame of its Scotch-based counterpart, the Rusty Spike has seen renewed interest with the craft cocktail movement as a way to introduce bourbon drinkers to the classic Rusty Nail flavor profile.”