New Spain

New York City bartender Sam Ross’sPenicillin—a mix of Scotch, lemon, honey, and ginger—became one of the few drinks to quickly establish itself within the tiny category of “modern classics.” The Penicillin’s foolproof combination of smoky, spicy, sweet, and sour has sparked a whole category of riffs, including this one. I used the same flavor blueprint and subbed in mezcal, amontillado sherry, lime, and agave. What the drink illustrates well is the strong relationship between sherry and spirits like mezcal or scotch, which tend to have an iodine and salt component that is echoed in both fino and amontillado.