Penicillin
The Penicillin is a scotch whisky cocktail considered by many a modern classic. Sam Ross (responsible for the popular Last Word riff, the Paper Plane) created this cocktail by combining both blended and Islay (say EYE-luh) scotch whiskies with lemon juice and a house-made honey ginger syrup — truly delicious and not medicinal as the name suggests. As I mentioned with making the Flannel Shirt, scotch whisky, is still fairly new territory for me. Besides the fact there is no ‘e’ its spelling, scotch whisky is produced entirely from start to finish in Scotland and tends to have a distinct ‘smoky’ quality attributable to the barley malts exposure to peat smoke… especially the single-malt Islay scotch. A quarter ounce float will go a long way to kick up that distinct smokiness. Ross’ house-made honey ginger syrup is an integral ingredient to the overall cocktail providing both sweetness and a touch of spice. However, for those who don’t have the time or patience, it is quite common to approximate its flavor with equal parts honey syrup and ginger syrup instead — this also allows you to adjust for personal preference. Due to the inclusion of citrus and honey syrup, you will want to shake your cocktail before straining it in your rocks glass over a large clear ice cube. Although there’s nothing wrong with using regular ice, the surface area of the large clear ice cube is ideal after shaking as it allows for a more controlled dilution as well as making it easier to float the Islay scotch. Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to garnish your Penicillin with a candied piece of ginger! I won’t pretend scotch isn’t an acquired taste, however, if you were ever looking for an introduction to the spirit, this is it. But don’t take my word for it, make one and try it for yourself!
Penicillin
In your shaker, combine the ginger syrup, honey syrup, lemon juice, and blended scotch whisky.
0.375 oz of Ginger Syrup
0.375 oz of Honey Syrup
0.75 oz of Lemon Juice
2 oz of Blended Scotch Whisky
0.25 oz of Islay Scotch Whisky (to float)
Add ice to your shaker and shake until it develops a frost. Strain the contents into your double rocks glass over a large ice cube. Using the back of a bar spoon, slowly pour the Islay scotch whisky floating it across the top. Garnish with crystallized ginger.
