How it tastes
The first sip is honey-ginger and lemon, sour and slightly hot. The peat hits in the nose before you've taken a second sip and stays there. By the third sip, the smoke has integrated and you're drinking something complex enough to slow down for. This is one of those drinks where the small finishing detail (the smoky float) does almost half the work.
Where it came from
One of the very few modern classics that everyone agrees on. Sam Ross created the Penicillin at Milk & Honey, New York, in 2005. The trick was the float: a small measure of smoky Islay scotch sitting on top of an otherwise gentle whisky-honey-ginger sour, so the first sip hits you with peat smoke and the rest of the drink doesn't have to live with it. The technique has been borrowed for so many drinks since that it's easy to forget it was a specific person's idea less than twenty years ago.
Why we pour it
We pour it most often when someone asks for "something warming" or "something for a cold I'm fighting." Whether or not it actually helps with a cold is a separate question. The honey-ginger and the smoke do feel medicinal in a comforting way. Ours uses a blended scotch base with Islay on top, the way Sam wrote it.
Where to drink it
On request at Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya. We always have the honey-ginger syrup ready. Reserve a table if you'd like one ready when you arrive.
Frequently asked questions
What glass is the Penicillin served in?
A chilled rocks glass over one large ice cube. The blended scotch base is shaken with lemon and honey-ginger syrup, then strained over the cube. The peated Islay float goes on last, poured slowly over the back of a bar spoon. A piece of candied ginger sits between the ice and the rim. The single large cube melts slow, which matters because the smoke needs to integrate.
Can I substitute the Islay scotch in a Penicillin?
The Islay float is the trick that defines the drink. Laphroaig or Ardbeg are the canonical picks. Lagavulin works but reads sweeter. A lightly peated Highland (Talisker, Highland Park 12) gives a softer version, less aggressive smoke. Skipping the float entirely produces a perfectly fine whisky sour with ginger, but it is not a Penicillin. Honey-ginger syrup is non-negotiable; agave or plain simple miss the body.
How strong is the Penicillin?
Around 22 to 25 percent ABV in the finished drink. The build is 60ml blended scotch and 7.5ml peated scotch (both around 40 to 46 percent) against 22.5ml lemon and 22.5ml honey-ginger syrup, shaken and served over a single rock. It drinks warming and medicinal rather than spirit-heavy, which is part of why people order it for colds.
Where can I order a Penicillin in PJ or KL?
At Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim, 43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Petaling Jaya. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 15:00 to 01:00. WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607. Also at Soluble Solids in SS2, 50-1 Jalan SS2/24. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 18:00 to 01:00. WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651. Both bars always have the honey-ginger syrup made fresh.
What food pairs with a Penicillin?
Smoked salmon, smoked oysters, smoked duck breast. The peat float pairs naturally with anything else smoked. Also good with blue cheese, lamb, sticky braised pork. The ginger and lemon cut through fat, so it handles rich food well. Less successful with very delicate things; raw white fish gets steamrolled by the smoke.