Whisky Sour, Manhattan, Penicillin - three cocktails worth knowing
Once you have mastered the Old Fashioned, the natural next step is three more whiskey classics that together give you a complete home repertoire. The Whisky Sour is a tart, refreshing cocktail for everyone. The Manhattan is an elegant, strong classic for connoisseurs. And the Penicillin is a modern hit, combining whiskey, honey, ginger and smoke. Three completely different characters, three different techniques, all makeable at home with simple kit. In this piece we break each one down to first principles and show how they differ and when to reach for which.
First the key rule: stir or shake
Before we get to the recipes, one rule that orders the whole world of cocktails. Drinks made of spirits alone (whiskey, vermouth, liqueurs) are stirred with a spoon in a mixing glass - that is how a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned is made. Drinks containing juice, syrup, cream or egg white are shaken in a shaker - that is how a Whisky Sour and a Penicillin are made. The reason is practical: shaking aerates the drink, creating foam and ice shards, which is desirable with juices (it gives freshness and a light foam) but would cloud a clear, purely spirituous cocktail. Remember this one rule and you will never confuse the technique. It is the foundation of bartending, more important than any single recipe.
Whisky Sour - the classic of the tart
The Whisky Sour is one of the oldest and most versatile cocktails in the world, belonging to the sour family, that is tart drinks. Its construction is wonderfully simple and logical: a strong spirit, something sour and something sweet, in balance. The classic ratios are about 60 ml of whiskey (bourbon works best), 25 ml of fresh lemon juice and 20 ml of simple syrup. You shake it all with ice, strain it into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon slice or a cherry. The result is a refreshing, citrusy drink with a beautiful balance between acid, sweetness and whiskey. It is the ideal cocktail to start with, liked even by people who never touch neat whiskey.
The secret of the Whisky Sour: egg white
There is one addition that turns a good Whisky Sour into a great one: egg white. It sounds odd, but one fresh egg white added to the shaker does something magical - after shaking it creates a thick, silky, creamy foam on top of the drink, which softens the acidity and gives a velvety texture. The version with egg white is sometimes called a Boston Sour. The trick is the so-called dry shake: first you shake all the ingredients without ice, so the egg white froths, then you add ice and shake again to chill. The egg white is pasteurised in the alcohol and acid, so it is safe, and you do not taste it - only the texture matters. If you avoid raw egg, plant-based substitutes like aquafaba are available.
Manhattan - the king of elegance
The Manhattan is the aristocrat among whiskey cocktails, a classic dating to the 1870s that has never gone out of style. Its strength is the perfect balance of three ingredients: whiskey gives structure and spice, sweet vermouth depth and herbal complexity, and bitters tie it all together. The classic ratios are 60 ml of rye whiskey (rye works best thanks to its spiciness), 30 ml of sweet red vermouth and two or three dashes of Angostura bitters. Remember: the Manhattan is stirred, never shaken, because it is a purely spirituous drink. You stir it in a mixing glass with ice for about half a minute, strain it into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry, ideally a luxurious Luxardo. It is a strong, dry and deep drink.
Bourbon or rye in a Manhattan
The choice of whiskey shapes the character of a Manhattan, just as in an Old Fashioned. Traditionally and historically the Manhattan is made on rye whiskey, whose spiciness and dryness brilliantly counter the sweetness of the vermouth, giving a pronounced drink full of tension. Bourbon, sweeter and milder, gives a Manhattan that is rounder, softer and more approachable, though some consider it less classic. The difference between bourbon and rye whiskey is decided mainly by the grain. Crucial, and often underappreciated, is the vermouth too: it is a wine flavoured with herbs that, once opened, spoils in the fridge within a few weeks, so use it fresh. Old, oxidised vermouth will ruin even the best whiskey. A good Manhattan starts with good, fresh vermouth.
Penicillin - a modern classic
The Penicillin is proof that great cocktails are still being created. It was made in 2005 by bartender Sam Ross at the New York bar Milk & Honey, and the name is a playful nod to the medicinal, warming properties of its key ingredient - a honey-ginger syrup. It is essentially a variation on the Whisky Sour, enriched with honey, ginger and smoke. The ratios are 60 ml of blended Scotch whisky, 20 ml of fresh lemon juice, 20 ml of honey-ginger syrup and, at the end and most importantly, about 7 ml of smoky whisky from the isle of Islay gently poured on top. You shake the first three ingredients with ice, strain over fresh ice, and lay the peated whisky right on top.
The honey-ginger syrup step by step
The heart of the Penicillin is a homemade syrup you will not buy in a shop but can make in a few minutes. Cut a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger into slices and put it in a saucepan. Add half a cup of honey, half a cup of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, simmer for a moment, then take it off the heat and leave it to cool, ideally overnight in the fridge, so the ginger gives up its full sharpness. Strain it and it is done - the syrup keeps in the fridge for about two weeks. This homemade element is the key to the whole drink: fresh ginger gives a sharp, warming bite that no ready-made syrup can match. The Penicillin is garnished with a piece of candied ginger on a skewer. It is a drink medicinal in flavour, ideal for cool evenings.
Smoke as the finale
The most interesting thing about the Penicillin is the way smoke plays in it. The peated Islay whisky, poured in a thin layer on top of the drink, does not mix with the rest at once - with every sip its smoky, iodine, almost medicinal aroma hits your nose first, and only then comes the sweet-sour, ginger base. It is a brilliant trick of contrast, in which smoke and honey play against each other and yet complement one another. The same smoke that in neat Islay whisky can be intimidating for beginners becomes, in a Penicillin, approachable and fascinating. It is a great way to get used to the peated style or to show it to someone whom neat smoky whisky scares off.
The kit that is enough
To make this whole trio you do not need a professional bar. A shaker (for the sours and the Penicillin), a mixing glass or simply a glass with a spoon to stir (for the Manhattan), a strainer, a jigger and a lemon squeezer are enough. Crucial is fresh lemon juice - never from a bottle, because ready-made juice has a taste of preservatives that ruins any sour. Good ice matters too: cubes for shaking, and for serving in a low glass one large block, as in an Old Fashioned. The whiskey need not be luxurious - an average, solid bourbon or rye works splendidly in a cocktail, and it would even be a waste to use a great single malt. With this modest set you will make drinks at home on the level of a good bar.
Which cocktail when
Finally, a practical cheat sheet for when to reach for which. The Whisky Sour is a drink to warm up with and for summer, refreshing, citrusy, liked by almost everyone, great for guests who are not keen on whiskey. The Manhattan is a drink for an elegant evening, strong, dry and serious, ideal before dinner or for a long conversation, for someone who likes the taste of whiskey. The Penicillin is a drink for cold seasons and for effect, warming, complex, with a smoky finale that impresses guests. Together with the Old Fashioned they form a complete set of four classics covering every occasion. Learn them once and you will never be short of an idea for a drink.
Note every cocktail you make in GustoNote - the whiskey base, the ratios and your impressions. After a few attempts you will work out your own perfect versions that hit your taste exactly, every single time.