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Gin-Gin Mule

gin gin mule recipe

A modern classic that helped transform what and how people drink in bars.

If you hesitate to call a cocktail revolutionary, you haven’t heard the story of the Gin-Gin Mule. In 2000, when Audrey Saunders created the recipe, it helped transform what and how people drank in bars. “There was no sophisticated drinks culture to speak of,” Saunders says. Treacly mixers and inexpensive chip ice dominated even the most high-end bars and restaurants, and few drinkers were open to spirits other than vodka.

“Overcoming the public’s fear of gin was a big deal back then,” Saunders says. A Mojito–Moscow Mule hybrid, with flavors both familiar and foreign, her Gin-Gin Mule became an “ambassador for gin,” she says. It was similarly innovative in its use of house-made ginger beer, freshly squeezed citrus juice, and herbs. Combining these elements in the Gin-Gin Mule brought “a vibrant, zingy party to the palate that folks hadn’t previously experienced.”

The cocktail remains in heavy rotation at bars and restaurants, where fresh ingredients and craftsmanship are now much more commonplace. When making the drink, Saunders recommends choosing the gin carefully—“This recipe requires a juniper-forward profile in order to shine,” she says—and making your own ginger beer to keep the sweetness in check. “If someone absolutely must use commercial ginger beer, reduce the simple syrup in the drink down to a half-ounce or less,” she says.

For a cocktail this influential, it’s the least we can do.

Ingredients

  • Tools:muddler, shaker, strainer, fine strainer
  • Glass:highball
  • Garnish:mint sprig

Preparation

In a shaker, muddle 1 mint sprig, simple syrup, and lime juice. Add the gin, ginger beer, and ice, then shake. Double strain into an ice-filled glass, then garnish with the second mint sprig.
GINGER BEERBring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a pot. In a food processor, combine 1 lb. of finely chopped ginger root with 1 cup of the boiling water, and process until it has an almost mulch-like texture. Add the ginger mixture back to the pot of boiling water. Remove from heat, stir well, and let it sit, covered, for 1 hour. Strain through a fine chinois or cheesecloth, firmly pressing on the solids with a spoon or ladle to extract all the flavor. Stir in 4 oz. of light brown sugar and 2 oz. of fresh lime juice. Let cool, then transfer into bottles and store in the refrigerator for up to a year. If using a store-bought ginger beer, opt for a quality, not-too-sweet brand like Fever-Tree, and adjust the simple syrup accordingly.

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