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Penicillin

Contemporary classic · Hall of Fame and must know/try · Nightcap/sipping

4.7 560 ratings

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Scotch whisky
1/2 oz Ginger liqueur
1/3 oz Peated malt whisky
2/3 oz Lemon juice
2/3 oz Honey and water syrup

How to make

Serve in a old-fashioned glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare skewered crystallised ginger for garnish.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 STRAIN into ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice).

Garnish

  1. 5 Garnish with skewered crystallised ginger.

Flavour profile

17.4% alc./vol. · 1.5 standard drinks · 220 calories

History

Whisky Sour with honey richness, subtle smoke, and enlivening ginger spice. A cocktail that awakens the palate, making it hard to resist sipping.

Adapted from a 2005 recipe created by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey in Manhattan, New York City. Sam's original recipe (below) calls for ¾ oz honey-ginger syrup in place of ginger liqueur and honey. Sam Ross's Penicillin recipe Glass: Old-fashioned Garnish: Skewered crystallised ginger Method: SHAKE first 3 ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. TOP with Islay whisky. 60ml (2oz) Blended Scotch whisky 22.5ml (¾oz) Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) 22.5ml (¾oz) Honey & ginger syrup* 7.5ml (¼oz) Peated Islay single malt scotch whisky *To make honey & ginger syrup Peel and thinly slice 100 grams (3.5oz) of root ginger and place in a saucepan with 1 cup of honey and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and place in a sealed container in a refrigerator to steep for 12 hours. Strain, bottle, and store in a refrigerator. Use within three days. I created my version of Sam's contemporary classic, using ginger liqueur to avoid the faff of making ginger honey syrup, back in March 2009. With a good liqueur, it retains much of the ginger spice but in a more mellow form than the heat of fresh ginger juice. However, in February 2025, I came across a clutch of excellent cocktails (led by the Toreador del Diablo) made with ginger juice syrup. As to hand, I used this to create another version of the Penicillin: Glass: Old-fashioned Garnish: Skewered crystallised ginger Method: SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. 45ml (1½oz) Blended Scotch whisky 10ml (⅓oz) Peated single malt scotch whisky 7.5ml (¼oz) Ginger juice syrup 15ml (½oz) Honey syrup (3 honey to 1 water) 20ml (⅔oz) Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Created by Sam Ross