Two Penicillin Recipes (Classic and Mr. Anthony)

 

The Penicillin Cocktail came about at the height of the single-malt craze in the early aughts. At the time, the Penicillin seemed like something completely new, but in reality it was always with us. It combines a well tested Sour recipe with scotch and honey with ginger liqueur and smokey single malt scotch. It is perfect for pleasing a crowd of scotch fans with a simple recipe, as well as showing off how a well-made cocktail can change the drinking experience into something otherworldly. 

 

For bartenders, though, the cocktail was the easiest way to sell blended scotch at cocktail prices and still make it seem like the whole drink was made from single malt. 

 

My attempt at the traditional Penicillin this go-around is with Teacher's blended scotch and Ardbeg 12. While not the smokiest of scotches, the peat presence will knock you over. You will definitely notice it in the drink. The ginger brandy is my homemade liqueur, but King's Ginger liqueur is recommended and Domaine de Canton is most widely available. 

• 1 1/2 oz. blended scotch (Teacher's used)
• 1/2 oz. ginger liqueur (homemade used)
• 1/3 oz. single male scotch (Ardbeg 12 used)
• 2/3 oz. lemon juice 
• 2/3 oz. honey syrup
• piece of candied ginger

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass with a large format chunk of ice inside. Use the ginger as garnish.  

Mr. Anthony: 

It's not at all a stretch of the imagination to make a genever (or jenever) Sour, and from there, it's just a short step to the Mr. Anthony, a jenever version of the Penicillin. Jenever is a Dutch gin that is made from malted barley and distilled with botanicals like juniper inside the mash as well as steeped in the spirit itself.

Bols barrel aged genever is so close to malt whiskey with its aging in French oak that it is a natural choice for a Penicillin. This time around, I switched up for a saltier and smokier single malt, McClellands Islay, a no-age-statement bottling (I've heard) from Bowmore. It is definitely different to make the Mr. Anthony after having a blended scotch Penicillin, but I might like it more. There's an herbal quality to it, that juniper or pine scent that is actually a quality of some of my favorite scotches.

• 1 oz. jenever (Bols barrel aged used)
• 1 oz. Islay single malt scotch (McClelland's used)
• 2 bar spoons of honey (1/2 oz. of honey syrup recommended)
• 1/4 oz. ginger liqueur (homemade used)
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• piece of candied ginger
  

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass with a large format chunk of ice inside. Use the ginger as garnish. 

Elderflower Grapefruit Akvavit Sour (Moody Mixologist Recipe)

 

Let me go on the record that a list of ingredients in the drink isn't a name. At least we pretty much know how to make this cocktail just by reading the name. But I have to say that there is a lot of good things going on with this cocktail. A Sour is always a crowd pleaser, but the well-kept secret that akvavit and grapefruit juice, plus the elderflower notes of St. Germain, is a stroke of genius. 

Funny enough, I'm using my own akvavit, and even though this bottle of St. Germain is authentic, the liqueur is my own combination of elderflower syrup and raw spirits. It's a good substitution, however. For my raw spirit, I use Smirnoff #56 for hit 100-proof kick. It is also 2-1 with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey in my homemade akvavit. Even if you don't like the herbaceous flavor of akvavit, you should give this cocktail a try. It has a lot of things that will win over most people, even if they are shy about trying unusual spirits. 

• 1 1/2 oz. akvavit (homemade used)
• 1 oz. pink grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur (homemade used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. sugar syrup
• lemon twist

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon zest over the glass and drop it in. 

Red Top

 

Like Santa's red stocking cap rimmed with white fur, this cocktail is an emblem of holiday celebrations. The recipe is a simple and well-tested one--ordinarily known as the New York Sour back in the days when only New Yorkers floated red wine on top of their egg white Whiskey Sours. 

The difference here is that New York Sours are often on the rocks, while the red top really shows off its two-tone color shift in a Sour glass. The whiskey is rye, and I'm putting my bottle of Rittenhouse to good use. Cheers!

• 1 1/2 oz. rye (Rittenhouse used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1/2 egg white
• 1/2 oz. claret or cabernet sauvignon

Combine all ingredients except red wine in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill and remove the ice. Shake again to aerate and create foam and pour into a chilled Whiskey Sour glass. Using the back of a bar spoon, pour the red win so that it floats on top of the Sour.

Smokehouse Sour

 

Honey barbecue is the inspiration for this cocktail. It relies on two MurLarkey whiskies to lend it the signature barbecue flavors, but still requires a principal dose of bourbon to keep things from getting too intense. That's because the bacon smoked Smokhouse whiskey is very savory, but I still wanted vanilla and brown sugar flavors to permeate the smoke.

Otherwise, this is a very straightforward Sour, on the rocks as any barbecue fan would like his drinks so they don't spill on the picnic table's uneven planks. 

• 1 oz. bourbon (Virginia Gentleman used)
• 1/2 oz. MurLarkey honey whiskey 
• 1/2 oz. MurLarkey Smokehouse whiskey
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• lemon wheel and maraschino cherry for garnish

Combine sugar, juice and spirits in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Garnish with the cherry and lemon slice. 

Dutch Harvest Sour (Original Recipe)

 

There's no pumpkin in this cocktail--the harvest notes are suggested by a sprinkle of pumpkin spice on top of the Sour and the painting that I was working on in the background. 

But the fun thing about this cocktail is that it is a Genever Sour. It's hard to say what this drink is like because Jenever isn't whiskey and it isn't gin. It is a malty spirit that is aged in oak and flavored with juniper. That makes genever something between the two: perfect for making into a Sour, but rich enough that you can play around with fall flavors. 

I'm tempted to try it again on the rocks or up, but for now this is a traditional Sour glass. Stay tuned for cider versions and other fun creations using Genever for the fall season. 

• 1 1/2 oz. Bols barrel aged genever 
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. brown sugar syrup or to taste
• cherry and orange slice for garnish
• pinch of pumpkin spice
  

Combine genever, juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled sour glass and garnish with fruit.  Sprinkle pumpkin spice over the glass.

Old Orchard Sour

One expects apples not strawberries in an old orchard. Even so, this sour is fizzy and fruity with strawberry liqueur standing in for plain sugar.

I feel like a fizzy drink needs a light tasting whiskey like Seagram's 7 Crown. You don't need your whiskey and soda to taste heavy or overly spicy. Now that I think of it, an Irish whiskey would do equally well. And it is the citrus and strawberry liqueur that really stand out here. My homemade strawberry liqueur is rum-based from Vitae distillery in Charlottesville, VA.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 Crown used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 tsp. strawberry liqueur (homemade used)
• club soda
• berry and citrus garnishes

Combine liquid ingredients except soda in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass full of fresh ice. Top with soda and stir. Garnish with fruit.

Polynesian Sour

Though there's no traditional spirit from Hawaii or the Polynesian islands, La Grande Passion is probably the the closest a liqueur has come to being Hawaiian. It is, however, French and it is also out of production. I made my own version with armagnac and passion fruit. Now we have the most tropical of Sours ready for consumption on Waikiki Beach or just in your own backyard (or mine.) 

There's a lot going on here: sour lemon and orange juice backed by passionfruit's acidic bitterness, and soft, round armagnac and sweet sugar cane from rum. I'm using the Vitae Platinum rum again with it's light flavor and smooth body. Altogether, you get the impression of something very familiar--because it is just a sweet Sour--and something wholly exotic you've never experienced before.

• 1 1/2 oz. light rum (Vitae Platinum used)
• 1/2 oz. La Grande Passion (homemade recipe used)
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup (or rock candy syrup made thicker with a rich sugar)
• pineapple slice

Combine all ingredients except pineapple slice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Sour glass and garnish with the pineapple slice. 

Aquavit Sour

If you can make a sour out of just about anything, why not make it with Aquavit? The Nordic spirit is very light, almost like a dry gin. It goes with tart, sweet and savory cocktails. It just stands to reason that this cocktail will work.

With that in mind, remember that caraway and coriander flavors are toasty and fit savory drinks. Its probably better to go a little easier on sugar and let the acid and herb flavors dance here.

• 2 oz. aquavit
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar or 1/2 oz. sugar syrup (or to taste)
• maraschino cherry and orange zest garnishes

Combine aquavit, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist and maraschino cherry. 

Moonlight

This is one of the more tart cocktails I've ever had. 2 oz. of lemon juice are mouth-puckeringly sour. If you sit with it a while, though, you start to recognize the sweetness of the apple brandy and see that it isn't so bad. A lot like seeing by moonlight, your senses have to adjust.

This is the first cocktail I've made with a new product from Laird's distillery--Applejack 86. The label states that the spirit is 100-percent apple brandy. The "applejack" appellation works to make the spirit more folksy and more like the ever-popular whiskey. Brandy is not a spirit that's in favor right now, so that makes sense. This was an easy cocktail to make, but not a great introduction to apple brandy.

• 2 oz. apple brandy
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice.

(Heritage) New York Sour

I'm revisiting the New York Sour now that I have a Sour glass and I understand how this drink is intended to be made. That means no ice cubes, with a layer of dry red wine on top. Ice cubes can screw up you wine float, as can a straw with which it is tempting to stir the drink. Using the Sour glass almost guarantees the drinking experience will be consistent with each cocktail: you have to drink through the dry wine to get to the sweetened and sour whiskey.

A typical Whiskey Sour is made with blended whiskey. You won't find peated or rich ryes in the early examples of Sours. So Irish comes to mind, and and Irish-American whiskey like MurLarkey's Heritage is perfect for this occasion.

A note about the float. It is difficult to get a wine to float on a dry cocktail. More sugar might necessary to give the Whiskey Sour beneath enough density to support the wine. I recommend a half ounce of simple syrup--which is fully dissolved--to make sure that you don't get a red Sour.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (MurLarkey Heritage used)
• 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar (1/2 oz. simple syrup recommended) 
• 1 tbsp. dry red wine

Combine sugar, whiskey and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Sour glass. Use the back of a teaspoon to float red wine on top.

(Heritage) Whiskey Sour

The New York Bartender's guide circa 1997 has many sour recipes, some with egg white and some without. The Whiskey Sour in this edition is without, but at least it is served in a sour glass. I've decided to update the recipe. This time doing it in a sour glass and with egg white using a great local whiskey. MurLarkey Distillery's Heritage old country whiskey is young and rapidly aged and finished in French wine casks. This is a dry and very strong whiskey that really does well when mixed with egg whites.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (MurLarkey Heritage used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 egg white (optional but recommended)
• orange slice
• maraschino cherry

Combine whiskey, lemon juice, sugar and egg white in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain out the ice. Shake the liquid ingredients to increase the foam and pour into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry.

Rattlesnake

MurLarkey's Heritage whiskey has a great corn scent and it is unbelievably dry with a whiff of wood and wine. It really likes egg white and lemon juice. But this is no ordinary sour. The Rattlesnake has a bit of the Sazerac to it with the addition of Pernod.

Anise flavor is pretty strong and turns some people off. Fortunately, this recipe uses such a low proportion of Pernod that it doesn't register as anything other than a bit of spice. Any Whiskey Sour lover will enjoy this variation.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (MurLarkey Heritage used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 tsp. Pernod

Combine all ingredients with ice in a Shaker. Shake and strain into and Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. 

California Lemonade

So-named California cocktails usually have rye or blended whiskey and a combination of lemon and lime juice. I don't know why, but it seems to be a thing. Check out the Frisco Sour and the Los Angles Cocktail if you don't believe me.

For this drink, I wanted to land somewhere between rye and bourbon with my whiskey choice. Luckily Filibuster Distillery from Virginia makes The Boondoggler. It's a blend of their dual cask bourbon and rye. This drink goes down easily, and is made even prettier with that orange slice.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Filibuster Boondoggler used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1 tsp. bar sugar
• sparkling water 
• orange slice

Combine juices, whiskey and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and stir. Garnish with the orange slice. 

Amaretto Sour

This is probably the quintessential amaretto cocktail--the one at the forefront of everyone's mind. That's why I've been putting it off for some time. I like the more obscure, the arcane.

But as far as sours go, it is really easy. Take care to serve this up in a sour glass. Otherwise it will just be a Fix of some sort. There's only two ingredient and a garnish, so it's hard to screw up.

• 2 oz. amaretto (Lazzaroni used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• orange slice

Combine juice and amaretto in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a sour glass. Garnish with the orange slice. 

Vodka Sour

I guess the only way to differentiate a Vodka Sour from a Vodka Fix is that the sour is served in a sour glass with no ice. The garnish, a lemon slice and a cherry, are also different from the Fix's twist. Unlike a whiskey sour or some brandy sours, there is no egg white, which I am starting to view as a deal breaker.

But the Vodka Sour is a nice introductory into classic cocktails for the vodka drinker. They sometimes need a push beyond dry Martinis, tonics and sodas.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• lemon slice
• maraschino cherry

Combine vodka, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the lemon slice and cherry.

Pink Almond

The Pink Almond has a few unusual liquors in it that really attempt to make a rich almond flavor shine. Amaretto is a sweet cookie-tasting almond liqueur from Italy. Creme de noyaux is a sweet French almond liqueur that is famous for being bright pink. I'm showing off a bottle of Tempus Fugit Creme de noyaux here! And kirschwasser is a German cherry brandy that has a faint scent of nuts. Put these all together, plus whiskey and lemon juice and you have the Pink Almond.

Which is a little funny because this drink really comes down to being a nutty Whiskey Sour, whatever pretensions it may have. And it is really terrific, if not a little overblown, especially with the amount of alcohol. The whiskey you choose is less important here than the other ingredients, but avoid Bourbon or anything smoky. MurLarkey Heritage with it's own nuttiness on the palate is appropriate.

• 2 oz. blended whiskehy (MurLarkey Heritage used)
• 1 oz. amaretto (Lazzaroni used)
• 1/2 oz. creme de noyaux (Frangelico and a dash of grenadine used)
• 1/2 oz. kirschwasser (Kammer Kirsch used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• lemon slice

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour (don't ask me why, but it's ok) into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the lemon slice.

Apricot Sour

Like so many sours, most notably the Amaretto Sour, the Apricot Sour relies heavily on the sweetness of the liquor to balance lemon juice. And it is about as simple as a sour can get. Not the most potent of this category, but there's no worry over egg whites. My one stipulation is to use a sour glass and not a cocktail glass. The proportions just don't warrant the big cocktail glass.

• 2 oz. apricot brandy
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
• lemon slice

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail (or sour) glass. Garnish with the lemon slice. 

Strega Sour

Strega is a citrus, mint and saffron liqueur made with a secret recipe. It does have enough sugar that you don't need to use it when making this sour. It still requires the help of gin to make it big and strong enough to enjoy as a cocktail and not just a shot. Caorunn makes this simple drink very deluxe and exotic.

• 2 oz. gin (Caorunn used)
• 1 oz. Strega
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• lemon slice

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the lemon slice.

Gin Fix

As I've said before, a fix is what we have come to understand as a Sour--a lemon and sugar drink that should have egg white in it and served up. The Fix is served on the rocks. It's built in the glass and it should be in an Old Fashioned or rocks glass.

The NY Bartender's Guide recipe seems to have a misprint, showing a highball symbol for the recommended glassware. This won't work with a built in glass cocktail. The liquid will only go halfway up! I'll print the recipe below with the proper glassware.

Glendalough Wild Botanical gin is one of the new and excellent Celtic Gins to land in the U.S. and cause a stir. It is unbelievably fresh and is probably my favorite gin right now. Glendalough is a whiskey distillery, and I have to say that this is by far their best product, and one that will be well received in D.C. where gin is very in.

• 3 oz. gin (Glendalough Wild Botanical gin used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. water
• lemon slice

Combine sugar and water in an Old Fashioned or rocks glass and stir to partially dissolve the sugar. Add lemon juice, gin and ice and stir until chilled. Garnish with a lemon slice. 

Los Angeles Cocktail

If San Francisco gets a sour, so should Los Angeles! This cocktail can't decide if its a Sour or a Manhattan, though. First, it uses rye and is served with egg white in a sour glass (with ice, no less). And then there's sweet vermouth, just a small drizzle, so it's a little different than you'd expect. And it is also great! A whole egg is like a Flip, but it stays on the sour side.

• 2 oz. rye (Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye used)
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. sweet vermouth
• 1 tsp. sugar
• whole egg

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously. Add ice and shake again. Pour into a chilled sour glass.