Moscow Mule With Homemade Ginger Syrup

Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, I have a nice set of copper mugs, the traditional vessel for a Moscow Mule.  Why copper mugs?  The mugs were used as part of a vodka promotional campaign featuring Moscow Mules served in a copper mug, which was obviously very successful, since here we are 80 years later still using them.  In recent years there has been some caution around the use of copper mugs, since copper is toxic, and can leech into a liquid with a certain pH.  You can buy copper mugs that are lined with another metal, such as nickel or stainless steel to avoid any potential problems.  If you don’t have a copper mug, no worries.  This drink will taste just as good in a tumbler or Collins glass

My take on this drink is a bit unconventional.  Traditionally, a key ingredient for this drink is ginger beer.  If you have a favorite ginger beer, you probably already know the basics for creating this drink.  If you are like me, you may have found inconsistent experiences with different ginger beers.  I’ve not always loved my Moscow Mule experience at home because I didn’t really love the ginger beer I bought.  Going in the way back time-machine, the original Ginger Beer was brewed, fermented and contained a relatively low amount alcohol.  If you look hard enough you can still find some of those brewed ginger beers today.  Likely, what you will find now is the non-alcoholic version, which isn’t brewed and is really a soda flavored with ginger…or maybe a soda flavored with ginger flavoring.  Which brings me to my inconsistent experience with that ingredient.

I swap out store bought ginger beer (soda) with a home-made ginger syrup and soda water.  Bringing the ginger punch by way of ginger syrup is game-changing.  It tastes amazing.  Also, making your own ginger syrup is simple, and you can store a bottle in the fridge for at least a month…if you don’t use it all by then.  My recipe for ginger syrup can be found here.  Of course, you can always use a favorite ginger beer in place of the syrup and soda water.

To achieve the right balance, it is best to get a measured ½ oz. of lime juice.  If you just squeeze a lime wedge, you won’t get enough juice to really play off the ginger.  Using your favorite vodka and topping off with nice fizzy soda water really completes the drink, making it seem incredibly light for such bold flavor.