This isn’t so much a riff on a penicillin cocktail as it is an attempted refining of it. The addition of hot chilis into the honey ginger syrup increases the heat of the ginger while a dash of angostura and salt sharpens the warmth of the scotches.
2 oz Blended Scotch
1 oz Lemon
1 oz Ginger Chili Honey
2 dash Angostura
3 drops Salt Solution (4:1)
1/4 oz Islay Single Malt
Combine all ingredients except single malt intonations shaker tin with ice.
Shake well, about 30 seconds.
Double strain into a highball glass over one large ice cube.
Gently float single malt on top. (I also find that spraying it via an atomizer is my preferred method for adding this ingredient.)
Garnish with a lemon peel or cherry.
Ginger Chili Honey
1 cup Honey
1/2 cup Water
1 small hot pepper, sliced in half
6” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
Combine honey and water in a pot over medium heat. Allow to come to a light boil.
Add ginger and pepper and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and discard pepper but keep ginger in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight.
Strain out ginger solids and bottle syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
This cocktail is s delicate and smooth sipper that is perfect for before dinner or when you want something a little light. The apple notes of the vermouth bring out the dried fruit of the scotch, and the angostura spice and cinnamon flavors are ideal for chilly autumn and winter days. While a single malt is recommended, note that an Islay Single Malt will be overpowering in this cocktail.
1 1/2 oz Dry or Blanc Vermouth
1 oz Single-Malt Scotch
1/2 oz Benedictine
3 dash Orange Bitters
2 dash Angostura
Absinthe rinse, preferably Letherbee Oak Absinthe Brun
Pinch Cinnamon
Orange peel
Rinse a coupe glass with absinthe. set aside.
Combine scotch, vermouth, Benedictine, bitters, and cinnamon in a mixing glass with ice.
Stir well until combined, about 30-45 seconds.
Strain into absinthe rinsed glass. Garnish with expressed orange peel and enjoy!
Not much is known about the Blood and Sand except that it’s probably named after a 1922 bullfighting movie of the same name. Notoriously too sweet, this version includes a dash of lemon to raise the acidity to balance the heavy sweet liqueur.
1 oz Blended Scotch
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Orange or Blood Orange Juice
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 drops Salt Solution (4:1)
Orange Peel
Combine all ingredients except peel in a shaker tin with ice.
Shake WELL for about 30 seconds. This drink relies on a good frothy texture which an only be achieved by athletic shaking.
Double strain into a coupe glass. Express orange oils over the top of the drink and enjoy!
The Rob Roy is a spin off from the popular Manhattan cocktail that gained speed as a cocktail in its own right in the late 1800s. The use of a blended scotch instead of a bourbon or rye adds particular character to this boozy drink, often creating a lighter, more autumnal Manhattan flavor. For a more aggressive Rob Roy feel free to use a single-malt scotch instead of a blended.
2 oz Blended Scotch
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dash Angostura
2 drops Salt Solution (1:4 salt/water)
1. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir well, about 30 seconds.
3. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry OR orange peel and enjoy!
Scotch is a special whiskey for special people. And yes, you are a special person, and yes, scotch is for you! This peaty whisky hails from Scotland and has a rich taste marked by fermented, peated barley. This whisky is known for being enjoyed straight and being expensive. So does that mean the scotch cocktail is a waste of time? Absolutely not! However, we don’t always want to spend $70 on a bottle to mix into a cocktail. Use this guide to help choose the best brand for you cocktailing needs without blowing your budget on one bottle.
Blended Scotch
Blended scotch comes in a few different forms: Blended Scotch, Blended Malt Scotch, and Blended Grain Scotch. We’ll go over the differences in these later, but just know that they all make great cocktails. here are a few of my favorite bottles for mixing into Rob Roys and Penicillins.
The Famous Grouse
The Famous Grouse is one of the most popular bottles out there, and it is particularly well loved in its home country of Scotland. Founded in 1800, the Famous Grouse has been perfecting its product for a long time, and it shows. This bottle is my favorite for mixing into cocktails because it has a unique character that stands firm by itself, but it plays well with other ingredients from fresh citrus to spicy vermouth to rich cordials.
Full and golden, this whisky has tasting notes of citrus peels, warm spices, and candied fruit. With only a hint of oak and peat, this version is extremely approachable to new Scotch drinkers because it lacks the aggression of more heavily aged styles. This scotch is ideal for any cocktail that calls for a blended whisky, and I particularly like it in a scotch sour.
ABV: 40%
Pig’s Nose
This scotch is supposedly “smooth as a pig’s nose” which is why it bears the name. I’m admittedly not familiar enough with pig noses to confirm the truth of that statement, but this scotch is a truly good bottle for cocktailing and enjoying in a highball with soda water and lemon.
Pig’s Nose is certainly a beautiful scotch, and it is smooth, but it’s not what I would classify as a beginner’s blended scotch. It still packs a nice smokey punch, making it a great choice for someone who is already a scotch “neat” drinker who is looking to start making scotch cocktails. Young and clean with notes of salt and butter, this bottle is one of my favorites and not just because of the wonderful, very regal looking fella on its logo.
ABV: 40%
Monkey Shoulder Batch 27
Monkey Soulder is a favorite of bartenders everywhere, and for good reason: it’s the product of some seriously great products. Single malts from the Balvenie, Glenfiddich, and Kininvie distilleries are sourced and matured in different oak barrels until master distillers taste each individually. They then select 27 barrels to be blended together to create this magnificent bottle fo scotch.
This scotch is wonderful for cocktails, especially sours that use heavy ingredients such as bitters and Amari. Creamy and woody, this scotch is ripe with vanilla and butterscotch, finishing strong with candied fruit and cinnamon notes.
ABV: 40%
Single Malt Scotch
Single Malt scotch is exactly what it sounds like: scotch that has been made from a single malt at one distillery. Single malt scotch tends to be a high quality whisky that can sit on the more expensive end of the price range. However, there are more affordable versions of this style, especially in smaller bottle sizes.
Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year
The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 year is one of my favorite scotches to drink by itself. Called DoubleWood because it’s aged in two different kinds fo oak casks, this scotch is rich, peaty, and complex.
This scotch has a slightly sweet body that is enriched by spice and oak. Buttery, strong, and deliciously smooth, this is my first choice of bottles to introduce whiskey drinkers to the Scotch family. It has a nutty flavor complemented by dried fruit and apples with a long finish.
ABV: 43%
Macleod’s Islay Single Malt Scotch
Macleod’s Islay Single Malt Scotch is admittedly not my favorite scotch to drink by itself, but there is no denying its value. This medium bodied single malt has the characteristic smokey notes of a single malt, which makes it ideal to float on top of a penicillin.
This scotch is medium bodied with a strong nose and lighter finish. It has a prominent peat flavor that is underscored by nutmeg and dried cranberry, however the flavor drops away in the second half of the taste. For the value, this is an excellent single malt to use for cocktails, especially citrus based scotch cocktails that need a stronger nose.
Best Shot Co. 