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Friday, January 10, 2014

Mulled Moscow Mules

Mulled Moscow Mules
If I could pick a drink of the autumn-winter season, it would be this Mulled Moscow Mule. It's fabulous. And even though it is a cold drink... that is supposed to be enjoyed during the cold days of the year, it doesn't matter because when swallowed, you immediately feel like you are being hugged by a good looking man in a big 'ole sweater. Now who doesn't want that? Well, I guess some guys wouldn't. But that's a topic to be covered on another blog. Anyway the nitty-gritty deets of this cocktail are pretty simple-- homemade mulled simple syrup, vodka, fresh lime, strong ginger beer, and cinnamon sticks for serving. Ain't nothin' wrong with dat. I am in LOVE with this simple syrup. It is so versatile for the season/holidays. We put it in just about everything... mulled spiked apple ciders, mulled wine, etc. All absolutely delicious. You really can't go wrong. Some of the flavors that are prominently featured are cinnamon, orange, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mulling spices, star anise, and peppercorns. They all work cohesively together to create a perfect balance between these headstrong spices. The syrup is quite strong + extremely fragrant, but don't worry, the flavor mellows out miraculously with the addition of Vodka. PS-- I hate vodka. So, that says a lot about this recipe when I'm going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. ALSO, make sure that you buy a high-quality ginger beer, no ginger ale please! It really brings the flavor to a'whole'nother level. We used Reed's Extra Ginger Beer, it was just what the doctor prescribed. Lastly, it is crucial that you serve your drink with a cinnamon stick, because, well, it adds flavor and festivity to it. So do that, fo'sho. Y'all, it's pretty important that you have a copper mug because when the drink is super cold, the mug begins to frost and makes the whole experience much more enjoyable-- take my word for it. Anyway, try these out before it starts to warm up because you'll be missing them throughout the whole summer season!! Enjoy :)
Tito's Vodka, Extra Ginger Brew, Mulled Simple Syrup, Copper Mug
Homemade Mulled Simple Syrup
Ready to enjoy!
excited about the drink
okay, maybe super excited.
For the Mulled Simple Syrup:
2C Sugar
2C Water
3 Knobs of Fresh, Peeled Ginger
½C Candied Ginger
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Oranges, Peeled for their Zest
¼C + 2T Mulling Spices
2 Star Anise Pods
10 Peppercorns
½t Cinnamon, Freshly Grated Nutmeg, & Cardamom
Pinch of Salt

For the Mulled Moscow Mules (for one drink):
Crushed Ice Cubes
1 Lime, Zested & Juiced
¼C Vodka
3 Shots of Mulled Simple Syrup
½C Chilled Ginger Beer
Cinnamon Stick, For Stirring
Candied Ginger, For Garnishing
Lime Wedge, For Garnishing  

Directions:
1. For the Mulled Simple Syrup: Add all ingredients to small saucepan and bring to gentle simmer. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sufficiently steeped and it has reached a syrupy thickness. Turn off heat and let cool to room temp with spices. Decant into glass bottle (or plastic squeeze bottle as I do) straining out the spices with a cheesecloth or small strainer. It is ready to use or keep in fridge.
2. For the Mulled Moscow Mules: Zest and juice a lime into in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add in some crushed ice. Next, pour in the mulled simple syrup and vodka (we used our large jigger at home to make our drinks, so we followed a ratio of 3 shots of mulled simple syrup to 2 shots of vodka with ginger beer up to the rim… not exactly specific ounces, so keep that in mind). Fill a tall cup or glass with a little bit of crushed ice. Pour the strained liquid over the ice and fill the glass up to the rim with strong ginger beer for finishing. Stir until a frost forms on the outside of the cup. 
3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick for stirring and candied ginger and/or a lime wedge for presentation and more flavor!
Five Spice Moscow Mules that we enjoyed in Savannah-- our inspiration for this recipe!

1 comment:

  1. I love cinnamon, ginger&lemon, orange, simple syrup juice drink with Moscow mule

    ReplyDelete