The Penicillin : A Tale of Two Scotch Whiskies.
Building a cocktail off of two different Scotch whiskies is not for the faint of heart, but Sam Ross has always been up for a challenge. Sam Ross is the current owner of the Attaboy bars in both Nashville and New York City. However, he’s known as a modern cocktail legend thanks to his long list of creations including the Penicillin, Paper Plane, Kentucky Maid, Midnight Stinger, and the Left Hand. Most of Sam’s modern cocktail classics were invented behind the bar at Milk & Honey in New York City. Although the bar has since closed, it’s still known as the birthplace for cocktails like Red Hook, Bensonhurst, Greenpoint, the 50/50 Martini, Gold Rush, and most of Sam Ross’s delicious drinks.
For the Penicillin, Ross was inspired by the Gold Rush, which had recently been created at Milk & Honey as well. Essentially a honeyed Whiskey Sour, the Gold Rush blends together bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup. And while there are certainly similarities between the two cocktails, the Penicillin is purely and wholly an ode to Scotch.
The Penicillin uses two different types of Scotch whiskies: One as the foundation and one to float. For the foundation, Ross calls for a blended Scotch to build a solid, sturdy, full-bodied flavor. The float is an Islay single malt to ensure that signature Scotch smokiness is one of the first things you smell and taste. To balance out this Scottish dream, Ross adds in lemon juice and a homemade honey ginger syrup. Both ingredients are a nod to the Gold Rush, while also providing a bit of brightness from the lemon juice and a bit of sweet bite from the ginger syrup to round out the peaty, smoky Scotch.
The resulting flavors of the Penicillin are the perfect prescription for any ailment.
Penicillin
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Blended Scotch
- ¾ ounce Lemon Juice
- ¾ ounce Honey-Ginger Syrup
- ¼ ounce Islay Single Malt Scotch
- 1 piece Candied Ginger (garnish)
Honey-Ginger Syrup
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 cup Water
- 16 inch Ginger Piece (peeled and thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Add 2 ounces of Blended Scotch, ¾ ounces of lemon juice, and ¾ ounces of Honey-Ginger syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until well chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with ¼ ounces of Islay Single Malt Scotch.
- Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.
Honey-Ginger Syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of honey, 1 cup fo water, and the 16 inch piece of peeled and sliced ginger.
- Simmer over medium-high heat until the honey has dissolved.
- Strain and then place in an airtight container.
