The Penicillin, a Scotch Cocktail
There’s nothing quite like the classic taste of a Penicillin Cocktail. It is not actually related to the antibiotic penicillin. The Penicillin cocktail was created in 2005 by bartender Sam Ross at the now-closed Milk & Honey bar in New York City. Ross was inspired by the classic whiskey sour and wanted to add a smoky flavor to the drink. He achieved this by using a blended Scotch whiskey and adding a ginger-honey syrup and a float of Islay Scotch on top.
Complex and Balanced
The blended Scotch whiskey provides a rich, smooth, and slightly sweet base for the drink, while the lemon juice adds a bright and tangy acidity. The ginger-honey syrup adds a spicy and sweet dimension to the drink, with the ginger providing a bit of heat and the honey contributing a rich and floral sweetness.
The float of Islay Scotch on top is a key component of the Penicillin cocktail, as it adds a smoky and peaty flavor that gives the drink its signature depth and complexity. The Islay Scotch is typically a more robust and intensely flavored whiskey than the blended Scotch used in the base of the drink.
Medicinal Properties?
The cocktail quickly became popular and was soon featured on menus at bars around the world. It is now considered a modern classic and is often seen as a benchmark for contemporary whiskey cocktails. It’s worth noting that the name “Penicillin” may be a reference to the medicinal properties of honey and ginger, which are both used in traditional medicine to treat colds and sore throats.
Penicillin Cocktail
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- -2 oz scotch whisky blended or single malt
- -3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- -3/4 oz honey syrup 1 part honey to 1 part water, heated until dissolved
- -1/4 to 1/2 tsp Islay single malt Scotch whisky for example, Laphroaig 10 Year Old
Instructions
- Instructions:
- Fill a shaker with ice cubes and add the scotch, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Shake for about 30 seconds.
- Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes and float the Islay single malt on top of the drink by pouring it gently over the back of a barspoon so that it floats on top of the cocktail.
- Garnish with a piece of candied ginger if desired and serve immediately.
Glassware
The Penicillin cocktail is typically served in a rocks glass or an old fashioned glass. These glasses are short and stout, with a thick bottom and a wide mouth, which allows for the ice and the garnish to be easily added and the flavors to be concentrated.
Flavors
Cocktail is an interesting mixture of robust flavors. Its main ingredients include blended Scotch whisky, ginger syrup, lemon juice and Islay single malt scotch. The blend of the two different types of whisky creates a bold base that balances out the other components.
The Scotch whiskies give this cocktail a smoky flavor that is complemented by the sweet tanginess of the ginger syrup. The tartness from the lemon juice adds zest to each sip while rounding out any sharp notes brought on by either type of whisky. This combination generates a complex flavor profile with hints of spice, sweetness and citrusy freshness all in one glass!
