Cocktails: Tocayo, a Miami Take on the Penicillin

It may have been invented just 18 years ago, but the Penicillin is already considered an essential cocktail for any whisky enthusiast. Its seemingly healthful qualities from the fresh ginger, lemon, and honey mingle delightfully with blended and peaty scotches. At Leku at the Rubell Museum in Miami, beverage manager Daniel Love and head mixologist Nicholas Casanova were inspired by this recipe but they wanted something even more refreshing to beat the South Florida heat. The resulting drink is a Highball called the Tocayo, which means “namesake” in Spanish. It still features two scotches (though they’re both single malts) plus ginger, lemon, and honey, but it has some added botanical and bubbly components to make it all his own.

“We use both ginger beer and fresh ginger to spice it up, and then it also has floral notes from the lavender honey and soft herbal aromas from the sage garnish,” Love says. “The base is Glenmorangie Lasanta, a sherry cask-finished Highland single malt scotch that adds a balanced and delicious depth to the drink, and then extra smoke is accented by the touch of Ardbeg we add to the cocktail. The drink has everything to cure your ailments, whether mental or physical, while making you feel as if you’re standing upon a Scottish hilltop in the summertime while dreaming of Spanish cuisine.”

Tocayo

Bar manager Daniel Love and Nicholas Casanova, head bartender, at Leku at the Rubell Museum in Miami

• 2 oz. Glenmorangie Lasanta (or other Highland single malt)
• 1/4 oz. Ardbeg 10 year old (or other peated scotch)
• 3/4 oz. lavender honey syrup (see below)
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 2 1/2 oz. East Imperial Mombasa ginger beer
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger
• Sage leaves and dehydrated orange wheel for garnish

Muddle the fresh ginger in the bottom of a cocktail shaker until well-mashed. Add Glenmorangie, lavender honey syrup, and lemon juice, and fill shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled then double strain into a Highball glass. Top with ginger beer and pour the Ardbeg over the back of a bar spoon so that it floats atop the drink. Garnish with a few sage leaves and a dehydrated orange wheel.

Lavender Honey Syrup

Combine 2 cups honey, 2 cups water, and 1 tsp. lavender leaves in a saucepan. Heat on low, stirring until well mixed. Strain and let cool before using. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.