Bobby Burns Hot Toddy made with The Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak, 70cl, £34.49, www.thewhiskyexchange.com. Picture: PA Photo/Handout.

In a life much storied, Robert Burns wrote hundreds of poems and folk songs, and Friday (January 25) is a great excuse to raise a glass to Scotland’s most famous bard.

Highland Park 18 Year Old, 70cl, £69.99, ww.thewhiskyshop.com. Picture: PA Photo/Handout.

For a Friday night snifter to launch an evening of poetry and ditties, a whisky cocktail is a fitting tribute to the great man.

Smooth and warming, a hot toddy made with The Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak (£34.49, 70cl, www.thewhiskyexchange.com), with its rich oakiness and lick of spice, will get the party started.

And to continue the celebration of his birthdate, here are some more hearty suggestions that chime with the occasion.

Robert Burns Single Malt, 70cl, £29.99, www.arranwhisky.com. Picture: PA Photo/Handout.

Bobby Burns hot toddy

50ml The Glenlivet 15 YO, juice of quarter of a lemon, 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, pinch of vanilla, runny honey to taste

Cut the lemon into four pieces and crush the lemon into a rock glass. Add the honey, cloves, vanilla, whisky and top with hot water. Stir well, then add cinnamon stick and garnish with a lemon zest.

t all together while foodies dig into a second helping of baked tatties.

Ballantine's 17 Year Old, 70cl, £45.95, Thewhiskyexchange.com. Picture: PA Photo/Handout.

Whisky is the traditional drink for Burns suppers and a whiff of stardom surrounds Robert Burns Single Malt (£29.99, 70cl, www.arranwhisky.com). A special edition of The Arran Malt produced by whisky producer Isle of Arran Distillers, Very smooth and quite gentle with fruity notes, good depth of flavour and a light maltiness on the mouthfeel, it’s certainly in tune with this nostalgic evening.

Not available on the high street, Ballantine’s 17 Year Old (£45.95, 70cl, www.thewhiskyexchange.com) is an award-winning Scotch that’s easier to find in Europe than it is in the UK. Rich and full bodied, this bottle is complemented by hints of wood and vanilla, and with a creamy body and honey and smoke on the lingering finish, it’s worth nosing out for the cherished bagpipes ceremony.

Try a wee dram of Highland Park 18 Year Old (£69.99, 70cl, www.thewhiskyshop.com). Rich with a toffee sweetness, heathery smokiness and peaty finish, add a dash of still water to increase the aromas, enhance the flavours and fully appreciate this mature single malt from one of the oldest distilleries in the British Isles.