While not a health remedy, the Penicillin cocktail just might help you feel better at the end of a long week.
When you hear there’s a cocktail called the Penicillin, you might automatically think of a few things: maybe this is one of those Prohibition-era drinks, or maybe this adult beverage also carries some medicinal benefits. I’ll let you down gently… Both are not correct. But that’s okay, because the Penicillin, tonight’s recipe, is delicious and powerful.
At about twenty years old, the Penicillin cocktail has become a contemporary classic. Created by Australian bartender Sam Ross at New York City’s celebrated Milk & Honey bar in 2005, the drink quickly grew in popularity. Once Ross brought the recipe with him to Los Angeles a few years later, the admiration for the drink spread even further, and by 2024 was supposedly the 11th most recurrently ordered cocktail in bars all over the globe.
A bold and full-bodied dram, the Penicillin is a carefully constructed and layered affair. There’s the smokiness of the scotch, sweetness from the honey and tart zing of the lemon and ginger. All of these flavors flow flawlessly after one another, with every note complementing the other, exciting the drinker with each subsequent sip.
The Penicillin isn’t some overly complicated or complex cocktail to make for you and your friends. On the contrary, after you’ve prepared the honey-ginger syrup ahead of time, this is a drink you can easily and quickly prepare and serve.
The resulting taste is sophisticated, well rounded and a true journey. You’ll be ordering a second round before you finish the first, guaranteed.
What Is The Best Scotch To Use In A Penicillin Cocktail?
Scotch is still a bit of a mystery to me, but the best part about exploring cocktails like the Penicillin is that I get to acquaint myself with spirits I’ve yet to become friendly with. We start this drink by shaking a blended Scotch with our lemon juice and honey-ginger syrup over ice and pouring that on the rocks, followed by floating an Islay single malt on top. When choosing what specific brand of scotch you’ll want for this drink, the more money you spend, the more satisfying your drink will be. That hasn’t been my experience with all spirits and liqueurs, but whenever I’ve had cheap scotch, it was always hard to enjoy. If you can, treat yourself to some fine-aged Macallan. You’ve earned it.
Ingredients
For the Honey-Ginger Syrup:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and sliced
For the Cocktail:
- 2 ounces blended Scotch whisky
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce honey-ginger syrup
- 1/4 ounce Islay single malt Scotch whisky
- Lemon twist for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine honey, water, and sliced ginger.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let it cool. Strain the syrup into a container, discarding the ginger slices.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine blended Scotch whisky, lemon juice, and 3/4 ounce of the honey-ginger syrup.
- Shake well until chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
- Gently pour the Islay single malt Scotch over the back of a spoon to float it on top.
- Enjoy your Penicillin cocktail garnished with an optional lemon twist.
Nutrition
WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH IS USED?
A rocks glass filled with ice and garnished with a lemon twist or candied ginger is just what the doctor ordered when imbibing a Penicillin.
IS THIS DRINK AN IBA COCKTAIL?
Yes, the Penicillin is on the International Bartenders Association (IBA) list of official cocktails in the New Era Drinks category.
Similar Drinks To The Penicillin Cocktail
If you’re feeling adventurous and curious about the mysteries of scotch, and the libations that are crafted with it, look no further than Twist & Toast to help guide you. Check out some of these smoky, smooth and beautifully biting beverages below, then explore the site for even more delicious drams.
- Gold Rush – Smoky and sweet, this robust sipper will make you feel like you’ve struck it rich.
- Bobby Burns – Bring out your inner poet with a few of these scotch-based mixtures.
- Rob Roy – Scotch and sweet vermouth make a dramatic and delicious combination.
- Godfather – The sweet nuttiness of amaretto and smoky flavor of scotch is a taste you can’t refuse.
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