You wouldn’t be surprised to find out the Penicillin drink was invented in New York City. After all: it’s a city that has given way to countless classic cocktails over the decades. However, I’d bet you would be surprised to find out it was only invented by Sam Ross in the mid-2000s.
It’s a testament to how brilliant this scotchy surprise tastes that it’s become a standard listing in every good cocktail menu.
What Is a Penicillin Cocktail?
A mixture of blended Scotch whiskey, fresh lemon, honey sweetness, and a kick of ginger, the Penicillin is a cocktail that tastes like no other.
Imagine that zesty, sweet balance of the whiskey sour that we all know and love, but with a spicy ginger hit. The real genius of the cocktail is the finish: a topper of single malt scotch to lift those peaty flavors. Served without a straw so that every note and flavor hits the tongue and you get the full Penicillin experience.
Make sure to use a peaty, smokey scotch to get that heavy flavor in the topper that really elevated the Penicillin to the next level. You can make the drink without it, but it just won’t hit the same.
For this topping, you want a heavy scotch, so something like a Laphroig 10 or an Ardbeg 10 will add that smokiness that makes a Penicillin great.
As a general rule of thumb, the Isle of Islay is famous for burning highly flammable peat to dry the malted barley used to make the whisky, and so although each distillery has its own unique tastes and flavors, any Islay whisky will give your Penicillin the top Sam Ross envisaged nearly 20 years ago.
How To Make a Penicillin Cocktail: An Insanely Good Penicillin Cocktail Recipe
Now that you know exactly what’s in a Penicillin drink, and you’ve become something of an expert in peated whisky along the way, I bet you’re raring to find out how to put it all together. Luckily, I’ve put together this handy little recipe to get you knocking one up right away!
Step One: Preparation: The Honey Ginger Syrup
Add 1 cup honey, 1 cup water, and a finely chopped, peeled, 6-inch piece of root ginger to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil then let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to steep anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on how strong a ginger flavor you like. Finely strain into your container once steeped and refrigerate. Once refrigerated, honey ginger syrup will keep for up to a month.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for an easier way to make the Penicillin cocktail, muddle 3 slices of fresh, peeled ginger at the bottom of your shaker and add honey later instead of honey-ginger syrup. This won’t have the same infused taste, but if you’re looking to simplify things it will still make you a Penicillin, just not quite as delicate and balanced as the syrup.
Once this is done and you’re ready to make your cocktail, chill a rocks glass with ice.
Step Two: The Scotch Shake
Add 2 ounces of blended scotch, ¾ ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ¾ ounces of your honey-ginger syrup to a Boston Shaker. Fill with ice and shake until the shaker is cold to the touch.
Step Three: Strain
Fill your rocks glass with fresh ice and strain your drink over it. A regular, single strain will be fine if using honey-ginger syrup. If you’ve muddled ginger at the bottom of your shaker, make sure to double strain so that your cocktail isn’t clouded with little flakes of ginger, ruining the smooth consistency you’ve built up with the shake.
Step Four: Top and Garnish
Top your Penicillin drink with ¼ ounce of your Islay single malt Scotch Whisky and garnish with either a candied ginger or lemon twist. For added flair, pour the Islay gently over the back of a bar spoon and watch the top drizzle down the drink and add that final burst of peaty smokiness that sets this apart from your generic old fashioned or whiskey sour and complements the spice of the ginger perfectly. Sip and enjoy.
Penicillin Drink Variations
As we’ve already touched on, skipping the honey-ginger syrup for some finely sliced ginger is one way to change up the Penicillin. You can also skip the Islay topper if you aren’t a fan of the smoky peaty taste or, change up your topper altogether. If that heavy flavor just isn’t your thing, go for a smoother, more rounded scotch to balance out the lemon, honey, and ginger notes.
If ginger isn’t your thing, it’s worth trying a Gold Rush instead. Much like the Penicillin, but a simpler combination of Bourbon, lemon juice, and honey, the Gold Rush is as sweet as it is tangy. In fact, the Penicillin initially came to be as a riff on the Gold Rush so why not try taking this drink back to its roots?
If you like your cocktails with a bit of a pop, then make yourself a Penicillin Fizz. Leave out the ginger, then instead of Islay, top the drink with ginger beer. This will totally change the texture of your cocktail without messing with the flavor too much. A great way to riff on this modern classic, the Penicillin Fizz is a must-try for lovers of this drink!
Rounding Up This Highland Remedy
So there you have it, a great way to make a great cocktail, and a few different ways to mix it up. While the Penicillin may not have been around for too long, it has fast become a modern classic and if you’re into home bartending, it’s one you simply have to try making for yourself.
I started bartending in 2017, just 4 days after my 18th birthday, at a cocktail bar in my hometown. I immediately fell in love with the art and science of mixology and have since worked in bars across Yarm, York and Liverpool in England.