Penicillin

From acclaimed Charleston barman Mick Matricciano, "Originally created by Sam Ross at New York’s Milk and Honey, this cocktail is a mandatory cold-weather cocktail. This drink would be impossible to replicate without Scotch. Without the Islay malt float, it becomes just another whiskey/ginger/honey sour. The complex peat smoke of the Laphroaig turns the drink on its head and transforms what would otherwise be a very easy drinking cocktail into a serious, slow sipper. This cocktail takes a little more prep than the others but is absolutely worth the effort."
Penicillin

Ingredients

3 slices fresh ginger
2 ounces Scotch (blended Scotch is best or an unobtrusive single malt such as Glenlivet)
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce honey syrup (to make, dissolve honey into water at an equal proportion)
¼ ounce Islay single malt Scotch (Laphroaig is best, cask strength if you can find it)

Directions

Muddle the ginger in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, then add the blended Scotch, lemon juice, and honey syrup are added with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass full of ice and top with a float of the Islay malt. (This is done by placing the bowl of a spoon into the glass against the edge and gently pouring the Scotch over the back of the spoon. Because of the different densities of the liquids, the Islay malt will float on top of the cocktail). This gives the drink a smooth smoky punch in the headspace of the glass while hiding the bright citrus and ginger kick below it.

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Filed In

Cocktail, Feb/March 2013, Scotch