So…a few weeks ago my husband and I went to one of our favorite restaurants – Bistro Wasabi in Lake in the Hills. It’s a sushi bar in a strip mall.

OK….there goes my foodie street cred right out the window. But you don’t have to believe me. The wonderful sushi, spicy calamari, and maguro salad can remain my little secret. But that’s not why I’m writing.

I’m writing about a drink special we had there. I don’t remember what they called it, but it was very unusual and very good. We decided to try to re-create it or something close to it at home. All I had was the vague memory of the menu description to go on. The drink starts with a solid base of Dewars scotch and is tempered with the addition of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Barenjager honey liquer, and homemade ginger syrup. To ensure that things don’t get too sweetly out of control, you add a splash of smokey flavor with the addition of Laphroaig 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It’s served on the rocks (duh!) and is ever so tasty. Even non-scotch drinkers will love it.

A drink this good deserves a fitting and proper name. An exclamation of surprise perfectly defines the character of this drink. And this Gordon Bennett dude was a real character to boot. I’d say he was a scotch drinker for sure. So raise your drink and salute to Good ‘ol Mr. Bennett.

Ingredients:

  • 5 parts Dewars Scotch Whisky (I use the 12 yr old)
  • 1 part Laphroaig 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
  • 2 parts freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 parts ginger syrup
  • 1 part Barenjager Honey Liqueur
  • Lemon wheel or lemon twist
  • Ice
  • Rocks  glass

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake vigoriously and strain contents into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with lemon wheel or twist. Serve immediately and be prepared to exclaim “Gordon Bennett!!”