Penicillin drink recipe: how to make a great Scotch whisky cocktail

Share

Despite being a simple variant of the Gold Rush cocktail, the Penicillin cocktail has become one of the most requested and adored drinks of this new millennium.

The recipe of the Penicillin cocktail is very similar to the old Gold Rush, a drink made with whiskey, honey, and lemon, a twist of the Whiskey Sour. But what makes Penicillin unique is the stroke of genius of the ginger syrup made with honey and a small addition of peated whiskey to add a smoky touch.

This symphony of sweet, spicy, pungent, fresh and peaty flavors is irresistible, a subtle game of contrasts that collide, chase each other and then vanish in the warm embrace of honey. Remember that the cocktail must be shaken well first and then only at the end you have to add the peaty whisky.

History of the Penicillin cocktail: who invented it?

The cocktail was created in 2004 by Sam Ross, the legendary bartender of Milk and Honey, in New York.

Ingredients and doses for making the Penicillin cocktail

• 6 cl of Scotch whisky
• 2.5 cl of lemon juice
• 2.5 cl of honey and ginger syrup
• 0.5 cl of Islay peated whisky

How to make the Penicillin cocktail

Squeeze the lemon and strain the juice.

Put the Scotch whiskey, lemon juice, and ginger and honey syrup in the shaker with ice and shake for 30 seconds, then pour straining with the strainer into a cup or an old-fashioned glass. Finally, pour the peated whiskey over it.

To make honey and ginger syrup, all you have to do is boil honey and water in equal parts with fresh ginger. In this way, you will be able to create a splendid premix of honey and ginger immediately ready for use and you will not have to shake too long.

How to make honey and ginger premix

To make the honey and ginger premix, take a saucepan, put 300 grams of honey and 300 grams of water in it, add 100 grams of grated fresh ginger, and bring it to a light boil. Cook gently for 10 minutes, then let it cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Strain the honey and ginger syrup, bottle and keep in the refrigerator. In this way, the syrup is ready and you will be able to work much faster. You can safely vary the proportions of the doses as long as the quantities of honey and water are the same. Usually, 1/3 of the weight of honey is put into ginger, but you can also put less of it and use other ingredients to create your favorite syrups.

Suggested food pairings

Risotto alla Milanese, Roast Beef, Hamburger, Broccoli and ginger beef stir fry

Whisky cocktails you should try

Boulevardier, Old Fashioned, Mint Julep, Godfather, Rusty Nail, Rob Roy, Old Pal, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Toronto.