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Penicillin cocktail
A Whisky Sour with honey richness, subtle smoke and enlivening ginger spice. A cocktail to slap the palate awake. Then you can't resist keep sipping it
Mookie
1st September at 17:00
This really is a perfect drink. I opted to shake the peated scotch in with the rest of the drink, but used an atomizer to garnish with a few spritzes of additional smokey goodness.
23rd July at 11:35
Our only 'improvement' was to add some Fee Foam for a cheerful head. After all, happily taking one's medicine need not be a contradiction in terms.
6th April at 10:33
My love at first sip. And a love that lasts a long time, which is rare for me.
22nd February at 11:56
Is it Ginger Liqueur, or Ginger Syrup?
22nd February at 13:22
There are recipes with both above. The main (top of the page) recipe uses liqueur.
19th November 2024 at 02:10
Half the lemon and slightly heavier on the ginger made it more to my liking, though I generally reduce any lemon in a recipe
9th September 2024 at 20:47
Lots of different ways to get to this destination (or nearby): also fun to make w/ ginger juice for an extra kick, or with just honey (who has time for ginger syrup - honestly), with ginger preserves and half the honey for the same idea. You can also mule this thing up by lengthening w/ ginger beer for a long, spicy, summer refresher.
7th July at 00:01
The spicy summer refresher is lights out my man. Good show.
29th July 2024 at 01:25
A great way to enjoy a smoky scotch whisky, and to intoduce friends to the potential. I used ginger syrup instead of honey. I don't get distinct flavors of lemon and ginger, instead I get some brightness and lightness from the citrus, and some spicy bite from the ginger - very nice to lighten and enliven the smoky weight (even though diluted with blended scotch) of the Islay scotch (that's what I use).
8th July 2024 at 22:16
I've had and enjoyed Penicillin to this recipe for years - BUT all this time never with the separate peated whisky (just increased amount of the 'base' whisky). I have kept some well aged peated single malts but never wanted to use them as cocktail ingredients.
I decided it was about time my bar included a separate decent but mixable peated whisky for such events (chose Smokehead on recommendation from a Scotch friend) & it is truly transformative. The peat turns this from 4-4.5 to a 5/5. Wow!
I decided it was about time my bar included a separate decent but mixable peated whisky for such events (chose Smokehead on recommendation from a Scotch friend) & it is truly transformative. The peat turns this from 4-4.5 to a 5/5. Wow!
8th July 2024 at 22:16
(More the fool me for never sacrificing some peaty single malt to find out all this time!)
17th June 2024 at 03:47
An undeniably tasty drink. The necessity for an ingredient not carried in most bars and one that takes some effort to make yourself keeps it from being a staple. Fortunately I have a hack that doesn’t diminish its greatness. In a tin muddle two thin slices of ginger and .75 oz honey syrup (2:1 honey to water). Proceed with making the rest of the drink.
26th May 2024 at 12:28
Another of the classics where you find your preferred combination and expression, and it sings.
The homemade honey ginger syrup WAS worth the effort, though a little Internet based research after the fact indicated that peeling ginger is a tedious steep that can be dispensed with, conferring neither sanitary nor flavour benefits.
Great stuff!
The homemade honey ginger syrup WAS worth the effort, though a little Internet based research after the fact indicated that peeling ginger is a tedious steep that can be dispensed with, conferring neither sanitary nor flavour benefits.
Great stuff!
27th May 2024 at 11:47
My personal favourite combination of the several I tried was J&B for the main scotch, talisker for the float.
21st May 2024 at 10:31
Approximately how long does the honey ginger syrup keep?
1st August at 00:37
Ran a farm to bar cocktail spot in the early 2010s and we made a ginger juice syrup we used in our signature drink and a ginger soda in large batches. It would keep for over a week in the refrigerator without noticeable loss of quality.
21st May 2024 at 15:18
Good question, John. Max 3 days refrigerated. I've added above.
10th February 2024 at 00:51
While I really like this cocktail I don't go through the honey-ginger syrup fast enough before it goes bad. I've experimented using the original recipe, using liquid ginger juice to make the syrup instead of roots, the one above with ginger liqueur and honey syrup, and using ginger liqueur and barenjager (replaces the honey syrup). Sadly the one I like best is the original, which requires scrubbing, peeling and slicing ginger root.
27th May 2024 at 11:25
The honey ginger syrup is also great as a hot toddy. Add a good shot or so to a mug of hot water, squeeze of lemon to taste, plus a shot of whisky or brandy if you want alcohol version.
20th March 2024 at 04:54
Try freezing syrups so they keep longer, and see if you like it
9th December 2023 at 15:08
Just made my first Penicillen and it was good, but not quite as good as I expected. I used Bruichladdich Classic Laddie and Port Charlotte 10, along with a homemade honey ginger syrup following the above instructions.
3rd December 2023 at 07:11
Kirkland blended scotch
Domaine de Canton ging
Laphroiag cask str
Super lemon juice
Honey syrup
first time with this cocktail and most of these flavors. the lemon and honey definitely shine through the most, reminds me of a hot toddy. Scotch doesn't show up much. ginger shows up but im not sure i'd be able to tell if i didn't make it myself.
reminds me of cough drops, lemon candy. i dont really like it, cuz i dont like acidic drinks, but this might be good for someone who does.
Domaine de Canton ging
Laphroiag cask str
Super lemon juice
Honey syrup
first time with this cocktail and most of these flavors. the lemon and honey definitely shine through the most, reminds me of a hot toddy. Scotch doesn't show up much. ginger shows up but im not sure i'd be able to tell if i didn't make it myself.
reminds me of cough drops, lemon candy. i dont really like it, cuz i dont like acidic drinks, but this might be good for someone who does.
29th October 2024 at 00:09
The is a very big difference between the Domain de Canton and the suggested Barrows intense ginger. I gave away my Canton after I tried the Barrows as it was much too sweet for me.
12th August 2023 at 19:18
My fav version of this was bruichladdich classic ladie with homemade ginger honey syrup (made as Sam Ross explained in one vid) and a float of laphroaig 10.
Very flavourful.
Very flavourful.
20th May 2023 at 19:14
I don't like peated whisky. I cannot stand the stuff. But this...this cocktail alone makes me keep a bottle around. It's absolutely phenomenal in this drink.
13th April 2024 at 18:11
(Though I do use Sam Ross' original recipe with 3/8th each of honey and fiery ginger syrup and go heavy handed on the Islay)
13th April 2024 at 18:10
Coming back a year later, god knows how many Penicillins later, and I firmly believed humanity as a species peaked at the invention of this drink.
8th May 2023 at 23:28
This is so good. I cut back on the Islay because I wasn't feeling like an overly smoky drink, and it still worked really well with just wisps of smoke making their way through. I used Monkey Shoulder and Domaine de Canton. This would be wonderful coming home from a brisk winter walk.
13th June 2023 at 01:34
There is a big difference between Domaine de Canton and Barrows Intense Ginger as an FYI. I gave away my Canton I was so disappointed in its mildness and sweetness, but the Barrows lives up to is name...
3rd May 2023 at 08:01
Had neither ginger liqueur on hand nor the time and energy (or fridge space!) to make honey ginger syrup; opted for two spoons of straight honey and two slices of heavily muddled, fresh ginger instead. Unusual, refreshing - but above all, wonderful. The peated scotch (used Laphroaig 10 Years) and the ginger pull it into completely new territory from a scotch sour.
20th November 2022 at 23:15
I recommend replacing the 20 ml of honey syrup (3:1) with 10 ml of honey syrup (3:1) and 10 ml of honey ginger syrup as presented in the link at the bottom of the page.
https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1109/honey-and-honey-syrup
You gain in intensity of the ginger and you avoid the impression of honey running down your throat
https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1109/honey-and-honey-syrup
You gain in intensity of the ginger and you avoid the impression of honey running down your throat
8th November 2022 at 16:48
Would Honey Syrup be interchangeable with Monin Agave Syrup or would it taste different?
9th November 2022 at 09:28
The flavour of honey varies so much. Monin Agave syrup will taste very different but a good substitution if you don't have honey.
10th October 2022 at 22:02
Blah blah blah simply excellent!
Use a Heavy Peated whisky. A Kilchoman Machir Bay or an Adberg 10 year old will do the trick without blowing your wallet.
Use a Heavy Peated whisky. A Kilchoman Machir Bay or an Adberg 10 year old will do the trick without blowing your wallet.
28th June 2022 at 01:07
I am not a big fan of smoky Scotch Whisky taste. This was great. Did cut back on the Honey syrup a bit, but the blending took away some of the smoky taste and made for a very, very enjoyable cocktail.
19th May 2022 at 18:43
Using Monin honey syrup (for practicality more than any insistence that this is what should be done) I reduce the honey syrup to 1/2oz otherwise this comes out much too sweet overall (and while a bitter/dry preference I would not describe myself as someone who dislikes sweet drinks per se).
29th January 2022 at 23:54
I've made this once with homemade ginger liquor and 1:1 honey syrup (excellent), and once with domaine de canton and 3:1 honey syrup (good but quite sweet). I will probably try 1/3 oz 3:1 honey syrup, or a less sweet ginger liqueur on the next go around.
8th January 2022 at 18:49
There is a lot of hype around this new kid on the block "a modern Classic" is usually the intro
I like the flavor combos and like every cocktail that is successful, it has a cool name
need to be very careful with the ardbeg as it can over power the drink, i have also used Laphroaig with equal success
I actually garnished mine with a skewered Pontefract liquorice that was a great way of ending the drink
I like the flavor combos and like every cocktail that is successful, it has a cool name
need to be very careful with the ardbeg as it can over power the drink, i have also used Laphroaig with equal success
I actually garnished mine with a skewered Pontefract liquorice that was a great way of ending the drink
22nd December 2021 at 20:54
One of my all time favorites, but is the honey-ginger syrup recipe above really only 1:1? Seems strange since the gold rush and your version both use a 3:1 honey syrup.
23rd December 2021 at 08:22
Yes, as far as I'm aware it's 1:1. In the US it's common to use 1:1 simple sugar syrup while in UK and Europe richer 2:1 sugar syrup is the norm. I favour more concentrated syrups so dilution in the finished cocktail is more controllable. Plus a 3:1 honey syrup is less prone to fermentation prior to use than a 1:1.
14th December 2021 at 09:46
I find that a few muddled thin slices of fresh ginger works better for me. Only need to have a honey syrup on hand as well then.
1st October 2021 at 02:27
I luuuurve this one!
1st September 2021 at 15:06
Today I decided to actually read The Savoy Cocktail Book cover to cover for the first time. Came across the ‘Flu Cocktail which is Canadian Club, ginger, lemon, rich simple. I’m guessing it must have inspired the Penicillin? Not sure if I’ve ever seen the two cocktails linked before
2nd September 2021 at 11:00
I've also not noticed the Flu Cocktail in The Savoy book before. It does indeed resemble the Penicillin Cocktail but Craddock's "but do not ice" suggests he served the Flu Cocktail at room temperature to guests as a cure.
Anonymous
27th March 2021 at 22:44
Bloody truly awful. Like medicine, in the worst possible way. Urgh.