Penicillin Mocktail with Honey and Ginger

Before you start

The Penicillin is a modern sour built on honey, ginger and lemon, finished with a smoky float. That structure translates well without alcohol, because the most striking flavors were never the base spirit; they were the heat of fresh ginger, the floral weight of honey and the peat-like smoke on the nose. Here a cooled black tea gives the drink body, and a small pour of lapsang souchong, a pine-smoked Chinese tea, takes the place of the smoky float.

The honey-ginger syrup decides the drink. Fresh ginger simmered gently and then blended or grated gives real heat, while ground ginger tastes dusty. Honey is added off the heat so its aroma survives. Expect a drink that is warming, tart and a little sharp at the back of the throat, which is the point.

Ingredients

• Honey-ginger syrup (makes about 180 ml)60 g (about ½ cup sliced) fresh ginger — unpeeled, scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 120 ml (4 oz) water
• 120 g (⅓ cup) honey
• Drink60 ml (2 oz) cooled strong black tea — 3 g tea steeped 4 minutes in 100 ml water
• 25 ml (generous ¾ oz) fresh lemon juice
• 20 ml (¾ oz, scant) honey-ginger syrup
• 15 ml (½ oz) cooled lapsang souchong tea — 2 g steeped 3 minutes in 60 ml water
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — plus 1 large cube for serving
• Garnish1 piece candied ginger — on a pick

Method

1. Simmer the sliced ginger in the water over low heat for 10 minutes. Keep it at a gentle simmer so it does not reduce too much.
2. Blend the ginger and its water until smooth, or grate the ginger back into the liquid. Strain through a fine strainer, pressing hard on the pulp.
3. While the ginger liquid is still warm but not boiling, stir in the honey until dissolved. Cool the syrup completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Brew the black tea and the lapsang souchong separately, strain them, and chill both. Keep the lapsang brew short so the smoke stays clean, not ashy.
5. Shake the black tea, lemon juice and honey-ginger syrup with ice for 10 seconds.
6. Strain over one large cube in the rocks glass. Slowly pour the lapsang over the back of a bar spoon so it rests on top and scents the first sip.
7. Garnish with candied ginger and serve.

Tips for success

• Taste the syrup for heat. Young ginger is mild, older knobby ginger is fierce; add 10 ml more syrup or a little grated raw ginger to the shaker if yours is gentle.
• A mild honey such as clover keeps the ginger in front. Darker honeys like buckwheat compete with the smoke.
• For a crowd, combine black tea, lemon and syrup in a pitcher, chill it, and shake each portion to order so every glass gets fresh aeration.

Substitutions

Lapsang souchong

A few drops of liquid smoke are much stronger and taste less natural; dip a bar spoon in it and stir once, no more. Or skip the float and torch a rosemary sprig over the glass.

Black tea base

A non-alcoholic whiskey alternative gives a closer resemblance to the original. Unsweetened apple juice makes a softer, fruitier, caffeine-free drink.

Honey

Agave syrup works for a vegan version. It is sweeter by volume, so use 100 g in the syrup instead of 120 g.

Variations

Hot Penicillin toddy

Combine 120 ml hot black tea, 25 ml syrup and 15 ml lemon in a mug. Skip the ice and float.

Penicillin fizz

Shake as written, pour into a tall glass with ice and top with 60 ml ginger beer for extra heat.

Troubleshooting

The syrup tastes harsh and raw

The ginger was not cooked enough or too much fibrous pulp got through. Simmer the full 10 minutes and strain through a fine strainer or cloth.

The smoke dominates everything

The lapsang was steeped too long or poured in too freely. Use a 3-minute brew and float only 15 ml; it should be a scent, not a flavor.

The float sinks immediately

Floats only partly sit on top in a low-sugar drink. Pour slowly over the spoon held just above the surface; some mixing is normal and still gives aroma.

Storage

Serve right after shaking. The honey-ginger syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; discard it if it turns cloudy, fizzy or moldy. Brewed teas keep refrigerated for 2 days.

Safety notes

Both teas contain caffeine. Honey should not be given to infants under 1 year old. Fresh ginger in this amount is a common food ingredient, but anyone with medical questions about ginger should ask their doctor.