Cooking Lesson #973: New Year’s Fleming Fizz

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? There are only 5 more evenings until it’s New Year’s Eve. How are you planning to spend this special time? I live in Henderson, Nevada and can see all the fireworks, drones and the programing of The Sphere from the warmth and comfort of my living room far above the fray. So, I have invited a few people over for a viewing party from atop the hill. 
 
I need to serve a New Year’s cocktail befitting 2025 and my Fleming Fiz is perfect for the occasion. One might say it’s a cross between a Penicillin and a French 75. I’ve always thought that the Penicillin, with its ginger and honey, was the perfect whiskey sour for winter—just right for the colder months and New Year’s Eve. This sort of left-handed tribute is in honor of Sir Alexander Fleming, the doctor who discovered penicillin antibiotics.
 
This is a bold, spicy cocktail for Scotch lovers—if you prefer your ginger a little less pungent, add 1/4 cup additional water and 1/4 cup additional honey to the syrup. Leftover syrup is excellent for sweetening tea, a hot toddy, or even a cup of hot cocoa.
 
Total time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
For the ginger honey syrup
1/2 cup roughly chopped peeled ginger
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
 
For the cocktail
1-1/2 ounce blended Scotch
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce ginger-honey syrup (see ChefSecret)
2 ounces chilled sparkling wine (I prefer Champagne… after all, it is New Year’s Eve)
 
To finish it off
1/2 teaspoon smoky scotch ( I prefer Laphroaig)
Lemon twist and candied ginger on a pick
 
Directions

1. Combine blended Scotch, lemon juice and *Ginger-Honey Syrup in a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill it with ice and shake it well until very chilled.
3. Add Champagne to a flute glass or a rocks glass.
4. Then strain the cocktail into the glass.
5. Gently float the smoky Scotch on top of cocktail.
6. Garnish with lemon twist and candied ginger.

*ChefSecret: Preparing ginger honey syrup is easy. Combine the ginger and a 1/2 cup of water in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract all the juice. Pour 1/2 cup of the ginger juice into a large resealable jar and stir in honey. Seal the jar tightly and shake until honey is completely dissolved.
Makes enough syrup for 10 cocktails. Syrup will keep for 2 weeks covered in the refrigerator; shake well before using.

Quip of the Day:  Q. In what year did Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall in the same year?  A. Every year!
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
#Cocktail #HappyHour #PenicillinCocktail #BlendedScotch #HoneyGingerSyrup #Laphroaig #Ginger #TheCustomsHouse #Milk&HoneyBar #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

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