Vaccination Recipe

Make syrup

Combine 0.5 cup honey and 0.5 cup warm water in a small saucepan. Add the sliced fresh ginger. Gently warm over low heat, stirring until the honey dissolves (do not boil) and the mixture is aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let steep for 20–30 minutes to extract ginger flavor. Strain out the ginger slices through a fine mesh and transfer the syrup to a jar. Refrigerate. Syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Chill: If desired, chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass by filling with ice water while you prepare the drink.

Add ingredients to a shaker: fill a cocktail shaker with 1 cup ice. Pour in 1 oz Dewar's Scotch, 0.75 oz R.L. Seale's 12yr rum, 0.5 oz Xtabentún, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz honey-ginger syrup, and add 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and properly diluted.

Prepare glass: discard ice water from your chilled glass and, if you like, run a lemon twist around the rim for aroma.

Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove ice shards and any small ginger particles.

Garnish: express the oils of a lemon twist over the drink and drop it in or rest on the rim. Add a piece of candied ginger or a thin fresh ginger slice on a pick.

Serve immediately.