Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Penicillin

Blended Scotch, lemon, honey and fresh ginger, with a smoky single-malt float. A modern classic that tastes like a cure.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 24% ABVMethodShaken10 guided stepsIngredients5Short (rocks) glass

Sour

In the glassScotch whisky · Fresh lemon juice · Honey syrup · Ginger syrup · Islay single malt

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Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear rocks glass with low straight sides and a heavy base. — Serving glassRocks glass

Set up before you pour

Use a rocks glass.

The low, sturdy bowl suits concentrated drinks and gives one large cube enough width.

Standard size: 300 ml10¼ oz
Ice & serve: Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
If you don’t own one: Use a small water tumbler with a heavy base.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

Compare all glass types

Scale to your short (rocks) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Scotch whisky60 ml
Islay single malt8 ml
Fresh lemon juice22 ml
Honey syrup22 ml
Ginger syrup8 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 60 ml scotch whisky into your shaker
- Scotch whisky
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml fresh lemon juice
- Fresh lemon juice
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml honey syrup
- Honey syrup
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 8 ml ginger syrup
- Ginger syrup
05
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
06
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
07
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh ice
08
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
09
Top gently
Top with 8 ml islay single malt
- Islay single malt
10
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a dehydrated citrus wheel

Know your drink

About the Penicillin

An Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour and sparkling whiskey highball in a warm library bar.

Milk & Honey, mid-2000s

Sam Ross built this at Milk & Honey in New York in the mid-2000s, and it is one of very few drinks from that decade to reach bars in cities that have never heard of the place. Honey, lemon and ginger are what you hand someone with a cold, and the name follows from there. Order one now and half the room assumes it is eighty years old.

Most failures trace to the syrup. Honey will not dissolve in a cold shaker, so it has to be thinned first: equal parts honey and hot water is the common build, and a heavier three-to-one works if you pull the pour back. Ginger goes in while the syrup is still warm, grated fresh or juiced. Ground ginger turns it gritty, and ginger liqueur turns it candy. Six inches of root per cup of honey is a fair starting point.

Common questions

Penicillin FAQ

Do I need two kinds of Scotch for a Penicillin?

Yes — that’s the trick. An affordable blended Scotch forms the body, and a bar-spoon float of smoky Islay single malt sits on top so every sip starts with smoke and finishes with honey and ginger. Created by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey, New York, in 2005.

What ingredients are in a Penicillin?

A classic Penicillin calls for 60 ml (2 oz) Scotch whisky, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lemon juice, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Honey syrup, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Ginger syrup, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Islay single malt. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Penicillin?

A standard Penicillin is roughly 24% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a Penicillin shaken or stirred?

A Penicillin is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

What glass do you serve a Penicillin in?

Serve a Penicillin in a rocks glass (old fashioned glass), over fresh ice cubes.

How many calories are in a Penicillin?

One Penicillin has approximately 250 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

Sharpen the technique