The Penicillin
For the man who has been somewhere coldFor the man who has been somewhere cold and is not finished thinking about it
Sam Ross again — created at Milk & Honey New York in 2005. A Scotch sour built on blended whisky and finished with a float of Islay single malt, the smoke arriving last, the way certain things only announce themselves after you've already committed. Members who have described it as "the drink that explains why Scotland exists" are not wrong.
Ingredients
- 2 oz
Blended Scotch whisky
Quality blend, high malt content. The grain whisky provides the easy-going mid-palate that allows the float to land distinctly.
- ¾ oz
Fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz
Honey-ginger syrup
Equal parts honey and water with fresh ginger, sliced not grated, simmered twenty minutes. Raw, unprocessed honey from a single-origin source.
- ¼ oz
Fresh ginger juice
Pressed separately. Provides a sharper, more immediate heat beneath the honeyed warmth.
- ¼ oz
Islay single malt Scotch
Heavily peated, southern coast of the island. Float over the back of a bar spoon.
A sliver of crystallized ginger from a confectioner in Cairndow, Argyll, using ginger from a specific source in Fiji. It arrives in a small tin that contains exactly enough for one evening's service.
Method
Shake blended Scotch, lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup, and ginger juice over ice.
Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube.
Float the Islay single malt: pour over the back of a bar spoon, slowly, onto the surface.
Drink before the float integrates. The smoke should arrive with the first sip.
He orders this at the end of gatherings that have gone somewhere complicated. Members have learned to read this. When the Penicillin appears, the night has been significant. He has never once ordered it at a gathering that was not.