Sours
Penicillin
Made with honey syrup · Sam Ross, Milk & Honey, New York, 2005
- rocks
- one large cube
- shake
Penicillin
- 2 oz60 ml blended Scotch whisky
- ¾ oz22 ml fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz15 ml honey syrup
- ½ oz15 ml ginger syrup
- ¼ oz7 ml peated Islay single malt Scotch (float)
- Shake the blended Scotch, lemon juice, honey syrup and ginger syrup with ice.
- Strain over one large cube in a rocks glass.
- Slowly pour the Islay Scotch over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on top.
- Garnish with a piece of candied ginger and serve without a straw so you smell the smoke first.
Garnish: candied ginger
The syrup
In this recipe
Honey Syrup½ oz15 ml
Honey syrup is equal parts honey and warm water stirred together until smooth, with no boiling needed.
3/8 oz of 3:1 honey is about 0.6 oz of our 1:1; round to 1/2 oz
As printed: 3/8 oz honey syrup (3:1 honey:water); or 3/4 oz combined honey-ginger syrup
Or use
Ginger Syrup½ oz15 ml
Ginger syrup is sugar dissolved into fresh ginger juice for real heat, or simmered with sliced ginger for mellow warmth.
same sweetness as ours, but juice-based syrup has more bite; use 1/2 oz of our steeped ginger syrup to make up the heat
As printed: 3/8 oz ginger syrup (fresh ginger juice : sugar, 1:1)
Where it comes from
Sam Ross, newly arrived from Melbourne, made it at Milk & Honey in 2005 as a Scotch take on the Gold Rush. He split the sweetener between honey and sweetened ginger juice and floated a peated whisky on top for aroma.
Source: A Proper Drink by Robert Simonson (2016).
Checked against: Punch - Penicillin (excerpt from A Proper Drink) · Whisky Advocate - Essential Whisky Cocktail: Penicillin (split honey/ginger spec) · VinePair - The History of the Penicillin Cocktail · Imbibe - Penicillin Cocktail
A Proper Drink (Robert Simonson)
Gear for this drink
Mixology & Craft 16-Piece Cocktail Shaker Set
OXO SteeL Angled Measuring Jigger
Best for Measuring syrup into drinks
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup