Recognized as one of the most popular cocktails to come out of the modern craft cocktail movement of the early 2000s, the Penicillin is a rich and spicy mix of blended scotch, fresh lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup, and heavily peated scotch floated on top, with a candied ginger garnish.
In 2005, just a year after landing in New York City from his home country of Australia, Sam Ross came up with this Whiskey Sour variation while bartending at pioneering cocktail bar Milk & Honey. In Georgette Moger-Petraske’s 2016 book Regarding Cocktails, devoted to the famed drinks served at the legendary bar, Ross recounts how the Penicillin was first inspired by another one of Milk & Honey’s original cocktails.
“After we were delivered the recently released line of Compass Box Scotch whiskies, I was playing around with a riff on the Gold Rush, with the Islay scotch replacing the bourbon and a little candied ginger thrown in for spice. I then grabbed the super-smoky Peat Monster Scotch and floated some of that on top for the nose — it turned out pretty well.”
Recognized by the International Bartenders Association as one of the top requested “New Era Drinks,” the Penicillin would eventually overtake the Gold Rush in popularity.
Ross, who is also known for creating the Paper Plane cocktail, is now the owner of multiple cocktail bars across the country, including Attaboy, which sits in the same Lower East Side location Milk & Honey once was. Cheekily named for its medicinal aromatics, the Penicillin is an Attaboy favorite, intentionally served without a straw so that the drink’s distinctive aromas are experienced up close and personal.
Why the Penicillin works
Complex and bright, luscious, earthy, and rich, the Penicillin takes the tried and true sour formula and amps up the flavor profile to 11.
Blended scotch whisky serves as the drink’s sturdy base, lending light malt grain and floral notes. Zesty honey-ginger syrup is balanced by freshly squeezed lemon juice and creates a sweet and spicy tension against the acidic citrus. A small measure of robust, peated Scotch whisky is floated atop the cocktail, magnifying the rich flavors in the drink and adding a touch of smoke.
The exchange of sweet and sour, spicy and smoky is layered and delicious. This drink is the restorative cure-all you’ll be seeking at your next happy hour.
Dining and Cooking