The Penicillin is a modern classic Scotch sour created around blended Scotch, lemon, honey, ginger, and a smoky Islay float. Its balance depends on keeping the base drink bright while using peat as an aromatic accent, not as the entire body.
Shake blended Scotch, lemon juice, honey syrup, and ginger syrup with ice. Strain over one large cube in an old fashioned glass. Float the Islay single malt on top and garnish with one thin slice of ginger.
Serve over one large cube in an old fashioned glass with a single ginger garnish. The Islay float should sit aromatically on top so the first sip carries smoke before the honey-ginger sour opens up.
Pair it with grilled pork, smoked fish, roast chicken, ginger-glazed dishes, blue cheese, or charred vegetables. Honey and smoke work well with savory caramelization.
The Penicillin was created by Sam Ross in New York in the mid-2000s and quickly became a modern classic. It helped define the contemporary ginger-honey-whisky sour template.
Best for fall and winter service, modern classic menus, whisky drinkers who want citrus, and guests looking for a smoky but approachable sour.
Lemon gives sharpness, honey rounds the middle, ginger adds heat, blended Scotch supplies malt, and the Islay float delivers smoke on the nose and finish.
Modern, smoky, spicy, and restorative without being medicinal.
Use a softer Highland Scotch for the base if the drink feels too smoky, but keep the Islay float small. A richer honey syrup makes the drink rounder; extra ginger makes it more bracing.
18%
⚠️ Alcoholic beverage: not suitable for minors, pregnant individuals, or designated drivers. Please enjoy responsibly.
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