The Penicillin: Why It's Having a Moment
2024-11-18 · 5 min read
The Penicillin cocktail was invented in 2005 by Sam Ross at Milk and Honey in New York, and it has steadily climbed into the canon of modern classic cocktails. It is a Scotch whisky sour spiked with honey-ginger syrup and finished with a float of smoky Islay Scotch. Think of it as a Whiskey Sour that went to Scotland and came back more interesting.
The drink works because of the layered smoke. The base uses a blended Scotch like Famous Grouse or Monkey Shoulder, which provides a mild, mixable whisky foundation. The Islay float, typically Laphroaig or Ardbeg, sits on top and delivers an aromatic punch of peat smoke that hits your nose before the liquid hits your tongue. It is theater in a rocks glass.
The honey-ginger syrup is the secret weapon. Equal parts honey and water simmered with fresh ginger creates a syrup that adds both sweetness and spice. It makes the drink feel warming and almost medicinal, hence the name. Paired with fresh lemon juice, the syrup creates a sour that is more complex and autumnal than any standard citrus-and-sugar combination.
The Penicillin has become a litmus test for cocktail bars. If a bar can make a good one, they probably know what they are doing. It requires fresh juice, homemade syrup, two different Scotch whiskies, and the technique to float one spirit on another. It is easy enough to make at home but just complex enough to separate serious bars from those just following recipes.
For anyone who claims they do not like Scotch, the Penicillin is the conversion drink. The honey and ginger smooth the whisky's edges while the smoke adds intrigue without domination. It has turned more whisky skeptics into whisky drinkers than any marketing campaign ever could. Sam Ross has now created two modern classic cocktails, the Penicillin and the Paper Plane, which is a genuinely rare achievement.
