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Welcome back to Mix It Mondays! New to the series? Check out my introduction here! Then follow the links for the next two drinks, the Vodka Gimlet and the Whippet!
Today I would like to focus on a recipe that has seen quite the surge in popularity over the last few years: the Moscow Mule! But my version of this recipe will come with a bit of controversy that I'll reveal after the recipe(and it has nothing to do with the copper mugs).
The ingredients for this are fairly simple:
2 oz vodka
1/2 ounce lime juice
4 ounces ginger beer (or ginger ale)
Lime wedge (optional)
You will of course also need some barware for this:
A copper mug or a highball glass
A shot glass (with actual markings for 1/2 oz., 1 oz., and 1.5 oz.)
A spoon for stirring
Preparing this drink requires no particular stubbornness on your part. Simply fill your mug or glass with ice, pour in the vodka and lime juice, top with the ginger beer and stir. If you're using the lime wedge, give it a squeeze over the drink and drop it in.
So where's the controversy? The lime juice and lime wedge. You see, if you'll recall from the introduction, this series is geared toward your home mixologist, I want you to easily and readily be able to whip out these drinks. What's the point of knowing them (and making damn fine versions) if you don't normally have the ingredients on hand? So purists will tell you that to use anything less than fresh lime juice and that final finishing squeeze of juice and a wedge is heresy. But I have to be honest: I don't normally have fresh limes in my house. But I seem to always have the bottled stuff. So yes, by all means, if you have the fresh lime, use it! But don't shame yourself for keeping the bottled juice around and just relying on that.
I do also want to take a moment to talk about the ginger beer. My favorite is Fever Tree. It has a very satisfying kick without going overboard and I find it readily available in the liquor department of any store. Despite the name, most brands of ginger beer do not have any alcohol (much like root beer). However, if you prefer your mule to not have quite as much kick, you can substitute ginger ale. This is the beautiful thing about home mixology: you can experiment and tweak the recipe until you're happy with the final outcome!
I was very kindly gifted copper mugs by two different friends of mine. If you would like your own, I can personally recommend either of these:
They both have the warm copper luster, look amazing on my bar, and make the Moscow mule taste even better! Ok, that might just be psychological, but who's counting?
Since you're there and buying mugs, may as well have them send you some Fever Tree too, right?
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Cheers! Salud! Prost! Slainte! Soupy twist!