Penicillin
I really wanted to incorporate a Scotch cocktail into the mix for this column, in keeping with the “Auld Lang Syne” theme. This libation was created in 2005 by Sam Ross of Milk & Honey in Manhattan. The name implies a “cure-all,” which again seems fitting during a pandemic, even if there is simply a placebo effect. Some recipes call for honey-ginger syrup, but I prefer to make a honey syrup which is also a versatile ingredient for other cocktails, most notably, the Prohibition-era Bee’s Knees.
Ingredients
- 2 oz single-malt or blended Scotch whisky lightly peated is best
- 1/3 oz heavily peated Scotch whisky Ardbeg 10-year is great here
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz honey syrup see NOTES
- 1 tsp sliced fresh ginger
Instructions
- Place the ginger in a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler, bruise the ginger to release the flavours.
- Add the liquid ingredients, add ice, and shake hard until well-chilled. Double strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube (or filled with cubed ice). Now take your medicine, like a good kid.
Notes
Honey Syrup
1/2 cup local honey (I like Yukon Raw Honey)1/2 cup water Combine honey and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
Stir until blended.
Pour into a clean jar, let cool, and label before storing in fridge. Syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks. You can also use this syrup to make a classic cocktail, the Bee’s Knees!