Penicillin Cocktail with Beeble Honey Whisky

The Penicillin Cocktail was invented in the early 2000s by Sam Ross, a famous Australian bartender who helped his mother and sister open a bar in Melbourne called Ginger. It wasn’t long before he became obsessed with making cocktails. He moved to New York, where he worked at the amazing New York cocktail spot Milk and Honey. This is where he invented lots of cocktails – the Penicillin Cocktail being one of his favourites.

Ross actually used a Bourbon, not Beeble Honey Whisky! I am fairly sure that if Beeble had existed he would have put it on his menu! The honey propolis tones in Beeble enhance the added ginger syrup and give an extra kick to the taste.

I am a great advocate for not using sugar in cocktails. A few years ago, I walked by a restaurant that had Mojito’s lined up at the bar ready to be made. The amount of white sugar at the bottom of each one made me vow to try and always use honey.

Honey has so many nutritional properties, it is much better for you than sugar!

Honey has long been used as a natural antibiotic by practitioners of traditional and herbal medicine. Honey’s antibacterial qualities make ‘Penicillin' an appropriate name.

Penicillin Cocktail Recipe

Prep time: 8 mins

Total time 8 mins

Serving size: 1

NOTE: To make the Penicillin you will have to make a honey-ginger syrup, this is well worth it! It will last at least a month in the fridge and you can add to your hot toddy too for an extra kick!

 

Ingredients for the Honey-Ginger Syrup (enough for six Penicillins or hot toddies…)

• 1/2 cup Beeble honey

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 inch piece of ginger root peeled and sliced

   

Ingredients for the Penicillin Cocktail

• 75ml of Beeble Honey Whisky

• 20ml of fresh lemon juice

• 30ml of ginger syrup

• Ice

• Your choice of garnish

 

Method - Honey-ginger syrup

1. Add honey, water and ginger root to a pot and bring to the boil

2. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes

3. Allow the syrup to cool and store in the fridge

 

Method - Penicillin Cocktail

1. Pour Beeble, lemon juice and the honey-ginger syrup into a shaker.

2. Add ice, shake and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon!

The ideal cocktail for summer!

 

Written by Nicola