To get to the bottom of this modern classic, we’ve asked a handful of experts to weigh-in on the subject.Īs for the honey syrup, in addition to being one of the sweeteners to balance the citrus, this component is key in binding all of the ingredients together and giving the Penicillin a medium-bodied mouthfeel and delicate froth that makes the cocktail shine. ‘It isn’t as easy as a straight swap.’įrom how the syrups are made and the proportions of each ingredient, to the specific whiskies and ice used to craft the cocktail, every single detail makes a difference when it comes to crafting the perfect Penicillin. ‘If you change the base spirit, you should also change the proportion of the honey, ginger and citrus,’ says Adam Hussein, food and beverage supervisor at the NoMad Hotel London, and author of Rise of the Bartender. But as the temperamental sour strayed from the Milk & Honey family, the Penicillin became adulterated with subpar syrups and ingredients, losing its precision. Nonetheless, both versions of the Penicillin employed Milk & Honey’s standard specifications for the ginger and honey syrups, called for the same whiskies, and were mixed using the same method. Instead of imperial ounces, London bartenders mixed in millilitres – a subtle change, but it caused the rest of the cocktail’s recipe to be recalibrated in order to properly balance everything. The main difference between the Penicillin served in the States compared to the one in London was, and is, the unit of measurement. ‘The Penicillin itself was clearly a world-class recipe and needed no help in its propagation stateside, but in terms of traction in the UK, Milk & Honey was instrumental in the speed at which the cocktail became recognised and picked up by bartenders in London.’ ‘I remember writing the autumn-winter menu for Milk & Honey in 2006, and by that time we had already long-since received the Penicillin recipe from Sasha ,’ says Kevin Armstrong, owner of London bar Satan’s Whiskers and former bar manager for the Match Bar Group, which Milk & Honey was a part of. While Ross seeded the Penicillin – his twist on the Gold Rush, the drink’s predecessor made with bourbon, honey syrup and lemon juice – at many of the US bars he consulted for in the following years, the cocktail migrated across the pond by way of Milk & Honey’s satellite bar in London. From the hallowed grounds of Milk & Honey in New York City where the drink originated, the gingery and smoky Scotch sour spread like wildfire to cocktail bars around the world, quickly establishing itself as a bona fide modern classic. Since its creation by bartender Sam Ross in 2005, the Penicillin, a perfectly balanced and compelling blend of two Scotches, ginger and honey syrups, plus fresh lemon juice has gone from strength to strength. In his 2016 book, A Proper Drink, award-winning cocktail writer Robert Simonson calls the Penicillin ‘the most well-travelled and renowned new cocktail of the 21st century.’ Simonson’s take is assertive, but the man speaks the truth.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |