Penicillin Recipe
The Penicillin is modern mixology's answer to a cold night: blended Scotch shaken with honey-ginger syrup and lemon, then floated with peaty Islay malt. Smoky, sweet, and sharp all at once, it is the rare modern classic that earns its fame.
Ingredients
- 2 ozblended Scotch whisky
- 0.75 ozhoney-ginger syrup
- 0.75 ozfresh lemon juice
- 0.25 ozIslay single malt Scotch (float)
- 1 dashAngostura bitters (optional)
Garnish
- Candied ginger skewer
- Lemon twist
Equipment: Cocktail shaker, jigger, fine-mesh strainer, rocks glass, bar spoon, vegetable peeler
Method
- Chill a rocks glass with fresh ice, or fill it with one large clear cube.
- Combine the blended Scotch, honey-ginger syrup, lemon juice, and optional bitters in a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds until well chilled, then double-strain over the ice in the rocks glass.
- Slowly pour the Islay single malt over the back of a bar spoon so it floats in a thin layer on top.
- Garnish with candied ginger and a lemon twist, and serve immediately.
About the Penicillin
The Penicillin was created in 2005 by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey in New York, and it spread through the cocktail revival fast enough to be called a modern classic within a decade. The structure is a Gold Rush with a twist: blended Scotch and lemon sweetened with honey-ginger syrup, finished with a float of peaty Islay malt. That float is the signature, giving each sip a smoky top note that fades into honey and citrus.
To nail it, make the honey-ginger syrup fresh: simmer equal parts honey and water with a generous handful of sliced fresh ginger, steep, then strain and chill. Shake harder than you think you need to, since the syrup is thick and the drink should finish bright rather than cloying. Pour the Islay float gently over a bar spoon so it sits in a clean layer, and use a moderately peaty bottle so the smoke accents the drink instead of burying it.
- Fresh ginger syrup makes the drink; bottled ginger liqueur will not substitute cleanly.
- Double-strain to catch ginger fibers and lemon pulp for a silkier texture.
- Float the Islay malt last and gently, or it will sink and muddy the layers.
- Serve cold and strong; this is a spirit-forward drink, not a long pour over crushed ice.
