Gin-Gin Mule

Make a Gin-Gin Mule cocktail, a delicious spin on the Moscow Mule. Made with herbal gin instead of vodka, the floral and spiced notes add complexity to the gin mule version of the classic ginger and lime cocktail.

Gin and I haven’t always gotten along. Honestly? I used to think it tasted like cleaning supplies.

But over the years I have come to enjoy its herbal, floral, piney and spicy notes.

The best way to learn a new spirit is to pair it with mixers you already like, and I have found this to be true and easy with mule cocktails.

If you’ve stuck around this blog a while, you’ll know that I love any cocktail made with ginger flavors and mules are at the top of the list.

What is a Moscow Mule?

This Gin-Gin Mule is based on the classic Moscow mule, which is an easy-to-make, 3-ingredient cocktail.

One of the classic cocktails, the original Moscow mule calls for vodka, lime juice and ginger beer. Traditionally, it is served in a copper Moscow mule mug to keep the drink ice cold, though you can use a collins glass or any glass you have on hand.

The mule is also a very versatile drink because you can make it lots of different ways.

1. You can experiment with flavor. Try adding fruit flavors with juices, infused alcohol or flavored simple syrup. The pear mule, the raspberry mule and the cranberry mule are some of my favorites I’ve made.
2. You can switch up the main spirit. That’s what we’re doing here with this gin mule. I’ve also made the Mexican Mule with tequila, the Czech mule with Becherovka and the French Mule with brandy. There are tons of variations to this modern classic!

Gin Gin Mule recipe

I set out to make the gin Moscow mule, AKA the Gin-Gin Mule — a mule cocktail made with gin and ginger. And a spot of herbs thanks to the garnish — I recommend a rosemary sprig or a mint sprig.

First, it’s really fun to say. Second, it’s pretty delicious. The bite of the ginger beer pairs well with the tartness of the lime juice and the herbaceous flavors of the gin and the rosemary. It’s very fresh and springy.

If we make enough of these, I think we can all become gin fans in no time at all!

The Mule is traditionally served in a shiny copper mug, which helps keep the drink cold. If you’re looking to add some of these pretty mugs to your glassware collection, check out my favorite mugs:

Ingredients

This gin mule cocktail only calls for a few ingredients. Here’s what to grab at the grocery store:

Sugar or simple syrup

Simple syrup is a sweet sugar syrup that helps to take some of the ginny bite that gin is known for away from this cocktail. Simple syrup is very easy to make with equal parts water and sugar.

Most gin mule recipes call for mint simple syrup. However, you could also have fun with flavors and make a simple syrup with rosemary, basil or lavender instead.

Lime juice

If you have the time, I always recommend squeezing fresh lime juice if you have it on hand, but feel free to use a good quality lime concentrate.

You are also welcome to use lemon juice — it would pair well with gin!

I use a citrus squeezer to get the most juice out of my limes but any of these would work perfectly.

Ginger beer

Ginger beer is a fizzy beverage made from fermented ginger. Contrary to its name, ginger beer is actually non-alcoholic — like root beer. It is simply a soda with an intense ginger flavor.

I prefer the flavor of a spicy ginger beer, which has more of a zing of ginger, but you can go sweeter here if you like. Check out my list of the best brands of ginger beer to help you decide on a spice level and type of ginger beer that’s right for you.

Ginger ale is a ginger-flavored soda and is actually much, much sweeter than ginger beer. However, you can make a mule with ginger ale if you prefer or if you don’t have ginger beer on hand.

If you dare, you could even try homemade ginger beer.

Gin

To make this gin recipe, I recommend a more floral-tasting gin, but any gin will work great. London Dry gin is the most common, but Plymouth gin or genever would work well too. The only one to stay away from is sloe gin, which typically has other flavors added.

For this recipe, I used Citadelle Gin, which is one of my favorites. I love the blue bottle and the flavor of this French gin can’t be beat. It has notes of juniper berries, mint leaves, violet and coriander — among many other herbaceous flavors — and it’s so good.

I also really like Hendrick’s Gin which has notes of rose and cucumber, a cool match for spicy ginger beer. Spend a minute in Gin 101 to learn more about gin and the best brands of gin to use.

If you like, you can use Ritual gin alternative to make this ginger beer drink non-alcoholic. I love this zero-proof spirit — it actually tastes like gin and it makes a great addition to this cocktail.

Garnishes

Set aside a wedge of lime for this drink. To pair with herbal gin, I also recommend adding a sprig of mint or rosemary to give this gin cocktail more herbal flavors on the nose.

How to make a gin mule cocktail

You can pull off this easy gin mule cocktail in just a few steps.

First, take your copper mule mug and fill it with ice. I like to use crushed ice but ice cubes are fine.

Pour the gin and lime juice over the ice.

If you’re using a fresh lime for juice, you can drop in the spent shell. The zest of the lime will add extra citrus bite as the drink infuses.

Top the drink with ginger beer. Garnish the cocktail with a lime wheel or lime wedge and a sprig of herbs. I like fresh rosemary, but fresh mint works well too!

Enjoy your gin mule with a tray of Moscow Mule cookies.

Mule recipes from around the world

Because the mule is so versatile, you can make it with many different spirits to enjoy different flavors from around the world.

The Kentucky Mule uses sweet Kentucky bourbon, and the Irish Mule uses clean-tasting Irish whiskey.

Smoky and smooth, the Mezcal Mule uses tasty Mexican mezcal to add flavor to this drink.

The dark & stormy is the name for a mule made with rum! It’s my favorite for a hot day.