The Penicillin recipe
for your table
Make the syrup: heat equal parts honey and water with fresh slices of ginger, let steep and strain.
Shake the blended Scotch, lemon juice and syrup with ice for 12 seconds.
Double strain into a tumbler with one large ice cube.
Carefully pour the Islay whisky over the rounded side of a bar spoon so it floats on the cocktail; garnish with ginger.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is all it takes. If you’d like to add a comment, we’ll review it before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Penicillin recipe to your own email so you have it at hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 on the glasses that go with it.
The story
Australian bartender Sam Ross created the Penicillin in 2005 at Milk & Honey in New York, as a variation on the classic Whisky Sour with the flavors of a home remedy for a cold: honey, ginger and lemon. The float of smoky Islay malt on top was the brilliant finishing touch. Within a few years, the cocktail had conquered the world and is now considered one of the most influential creations in modern cocktail history—not bad for a 'little medicine'.
The right glass
The Penicillin belongs in a low whisky glass with one large ice cube. Choose a 33 to 35 cl tumbler with a wide opening: it lets you smell the smoky layer first and then taste the honey and ginger, precisely the layered experience this cocktail is all about. A crystal glass with some weight at the base underlines the premium character of the whiskies used. You can find more low, wide models for one large ice cube in our old fashioned glasses.
Stölzle Lausitz Kyoto Tumbler 43 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Alkemist Tumbler 35 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 69,90.
The right tools
For a Penicillin, besides the glass, you use a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 84,75.
What do you make a Penicillin with?
For a Penicillin, you need the right base. Well-known bottles include Johnnie Walker and Laphroaig. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, how it tastes, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Without the smoky float, this is a ginger Gold Rush. Also delicious, but the theater is missing. Replace the Scotch with mezcal and you have a Mexican Firing Squad. The honey-ginger syrup is your new secret weapon: also great in tea, lemonade, and marinades. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Save your expensive Islay for the float: you can barely taste the difference at the bottom, while on top it determines the entire experience. The honey-ginger syrup is also delicious in tea. Make a double batch right away.
Good to know
Make your own honey-ginger syrup
Peel a piece of ginger about five centimeters long and slice it thinly. Heat 15 cl honey with 15 cl water until just below boiling point, add the ginger, and let it steep off the heat for one hour. Strain out the slices and store the syrup in a clean bottle; it keeps for three to four weeks in the refrigerator. This makes enough for about fifteen cocktails. Make a double batch right away, because the same syrup is excellent in tea, lemonade, and a marinade.
Which whisky: blended Scotch and Islay
The base is 5 cl blended Scotch, so no bourbon and no rye. A blend such as Famous Grouse or Monkey Shoulder is light, grainy, and gentle enough to carry the honey and ginger; bourbon's sweet vanilla clashes with the smoke and makes the whole thing sticky. The 0.5 cl float is a smoky Islay single malt, such as Laphroaig or Ardbeg. For that, do use a good bottle, because that half-centiliter determines the aroma you encounter first with every sip.
The smoky float with a bar spoon
After straining the shaken cocktail over a large ice cube, hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing upward just above the surface. Very slowly pour the 0.5 cl Islay over it, so the whisky spreads out and stays floating instead of sinking. An ordinary teaspoon works too. Do not stir afterward: the layer should remain intact until the glass reaches your nose. That way, you smell the smoke first and then taste the honey and ginger.
Prepare in advance for a group
For eight glasses, combine 40 cl blended Scotch, 16 cl fresh lemon juice, and 16 cl honey-ginger syrup in a bottle, then add 15 cl water for the dilution you would normally achieve by shaking. Chill for at least three hours. Pour about 11 cl per glass over one large ice cube. Always add the Islay float per glass just before serving, because the smoke disappears from a batch within an hour. Lemon juice stays fresh for about a day, so mix it on the day itself.
Which honey and ginger you use
Every Penicillin cocktail recipe includes honey-ginger syrup, but the honey you choose makes a difference: a mild floral or acacia honey lets the ginger and smoke come through, while a dark, spicy honey such as buckwheat honey overpowers everything. Use fresh ginger, not powder from a jar, because the latter stays cloudy and tastes dusty. If the cocktail turns out too sharp, increase the syrup from 2 to 2.5 cl; if it is too sweet, reduce it by half a centiliter. A Penicillin cocktail should keep sour, sweet, and smoke in balance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the recipe for a cocktail with penicillin?
The Penicillin consists of 5 cl blended Scotch whisky, 2 cl fresh lemon juice, and 2 cl honey-ginger syrup, shaken and double-strained over one large ice cube, with 0.5 cl smoky Islay single malt floated on top. Garnish with candied ginger. It is a cocktail, not medicine.
What is the history of the Penicillin cocktail?
Australian bartender Sam Ross created the Penicillin in 2005 at Milk & Honey in New York, as a variation on the Whisky Sour with the flavors of a home remedy for a cold: honey, ginger, and lemon. The smoky float on top made it world-famous.
How do you make honey-ginger syrup?
Heat equal parts honey and water with fresh slices of ginger, let the mixture infuse, and strain the syrup. You need 2 cl per cocktail. The syrup is also delicious in tea, so make a double batch right away and store it sealed in the refrigerator.
Which glass do you use for a Penicillin?
A lowball whiskey glass or tumbler holding 33 to 35 cl, with a wide opening and one large ice cube. This way, you smell the smoky layer first and then taste the honey and ginger, exactly the layering of this cocktail; see our whiskey glasses.
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, supplied per set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →