Hey there, fellow cocktail enthusiasts! It feels good to be back after an unexpected break that took me out of the game for a while. This wasn’t the summer I had in mind, but life has a funny way of shaking things up, doesn’t it?
A Summer Unexpected: My Health Journey
Instead of the usual summer of mixing drinks and sharing stories with you all, I found myself in the ring with a heavyweight opponent: COVID-19. Mrs. Dad Drinks and I had gone on a cruise for our anniversary in July. We had done a comically hilarious video about the Miami Vice cocktail at a private beach club in Cozumel on the 2nd to the last day.
Woke up the next morning – our last day aboard not feeling great. But hey, I put on my “Shut up Liver, You’re Fine” t-shirt (I wear one very last day of every cruise I’m on!) and figured I’d be fine. Wasn’t my liver though, it was my lungs. And by dinner I was coughing, then spent a miserable night trying to sleep. Made even worse by the fact that our trip home on Saturday took over 16 hours from the time we got off the ship until we landed back in Savannah.
The good thing was, Mrs. Dad Drinks figured out what’s the main ingredient in a lot of cough syrups? Alcohol! I did not over-indulge – wanted to make sure they’d still let me on the plane – but it did keep the worst of the coughing at bay.
Got home and isolated from her and the adult kid and tested negative just about a week later. However, as Billy Mays always said…
and just like that, pneumonia decided to tag in. It’s been a tough month, to say the least, and being away from Dad Drinks has been harder than I imagined.
Cocktail culture has always been my passion. It’s more than just mixing spirits—it’s about the stories that come with every pour, the memories we create, and the connections we share over a well-crafted drink. Being sidelined by illness made me realize just how much I missed that connection.
The Penicillin: A Cocktail for Healing
So, in the spirit of recovery and new beginnings, I’m rebooting Dad Drinks with a cocktail that’s not only fitting but also one of my personal favorites: the Penicillin. Named after the famous antibiotic, this drink is a modern classic that’s all about comfort and warmth, much like the way I’m easing back into the blog.
Here’s how you can mix up this medicinal marvel at home:
Penicillin Cocktail Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 oz blended Scotch whisky
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 oz honey-ginger syrup (made by combining equal parts honey and ginger juice)
- 1/4 oz Islay single malt Scotch (for a smoky finish)
- Garnish: candied ginger
Instructions:
- Combine the blended Scotch, lemon juice, and honey-ginger syrup in a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake well until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Gently float the Islay single malt Scotch on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon.
- Garnish with a piece of candied ginger and enjoy.
Every Pour Tells a Story
The Penicillin is a drink that reminds me of the resilience and warmth we all need sometimes. It’s a cocktail that, like this blog, carries a story with it—a story of recovery, of finding your way back to what you love, and of starting fresh.
As I sip on this smoky, honeyed concoction, I’m reminded that while life may throw us a few curveballs, there’s always a way to turn things around. Whether it’s crafting the perfect drink or simply taking the time to appreciate the small moments, every pour indeed tells a story.
So, here’s to new beginnings, to the stories yet to be told, and to the cocktails that make those stories worth sharing. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to dive into more cocktail adventures with you all.
Cheers to the journey ahead!
Check out the vide
