Everything you need to know about the Gin-Gin Mule

This week, we’re celebrating a drink so good, they named it twice. The Gin-Gin Mule isn’t vastly well known – it’s what we’d call an up-and-coming modern classic, filled with crowd-pleasing flavours that elevate the gin at the core of the drink, rather than overpowering it. Exceptionally easy to mix up, we guarantee you will be making this one over and over again.

What is a Gin-Gin Mule?

The Gin-Gin Mule is a thirst-quenching, spicy long-drink consisting of two ‘gins’ as the name would suggest. The first is the base spirit itself – gin – and the second is the GINger beer stirred through at the end. Gin-Gin – get it? The ‘mule’ element of the name is said to refer to the fiery kick the ginger gives to the drink, as in a Moscow Mule.

The cocktail was invented in the year 2000 by Audrey Saunders at the Beacon in New York. Robert Simonson firmly hits the nail on the head with his description of her concoction in his 2016 book A Proper Drink. “This is essentially a Mojito (a rum drink) crossed with a Moscow Mule (a vodka drink), but made with gin.” The muddled mint of a Mojito, the ginger beer of a Moscow Mule and the lime from both cutting through the sweetness. What Saunders has created here is a delectable hybrid of the two cocktails, designed to complement and celebrate our favourite juniper-led spirit.

How to make a Gin-Gin Mule

The first step in making a Gin-Gin Mule is to muddle together a handful of mint leaves and 15ml of simple syrup (which can be made using this straight-forward recipe from the BBC). To do this, add the mint and syrup to your cocktail shaker and gently press down on your muddler. Give it a few gentle twists until you can really smell the aroma of the herb in the air.

The trick with muddling is to not overdo it. If you muddle too vigorously and crush or shred the leaves, you risk the bitter-tasting chlorophyll seeping into your drink, giving it a grassy flavour. You’ll notice from our photos that there aren’t flecks of mint leaf floating around in the drink. Rather, the leaves are still primarily intact, with some minor bruising, allowing them to impart their delicious refreshing flavour, without the bitterness.

Next into the mix in our favourite recipe from our friends at the Gin Foundry is the pivotal ingredient – the gin, of course. Specifically and rather unsurprisingly, a healthy double measure (50ml) of our strikingly smooth London Dry. In a cocktail filled with bold, punchy flavours, our juniper-led London Dry has enough robust oomph to ensure it doesn’t get lost in the mix. Add this to the shaker along with 15ml lime juice, fill with ice, and give a good, hard shake for around 10 seconds. Tip the mixture, ice and all, into a rocks glass, adding more fresh ice as needed to fill the glass. Top with your favourite ginger beer, giving everything a gentle stir together before garnishing with a sprig of mint and some sliced root ginger.

This delectable tipple is now yours to enjoy – sip away, and savour the delicious punchy flavours. Cheers!

References

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/843/gin-gin-mule

https://www.eater.com/2016/10/2/13130748/audrey-saunders-cocktail-recipe-a-proper-drink
https://punchdrink.com/recipes/gin-gin-mule/
https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/05/cocktail-101-how-to-muddle-mint-herbs-how-to-make-a-mojito.html