Tag: ginger beer

whiskey

Irish Mule | The Easiest Way to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

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An Irish Mule is an easy way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This light and refreshing cocktail only has 3 ingredients: whiskey + ginger beer + lime juice.

The Irish Mule, sometimes dubbed a Dublin Mule, is another super simple cocktail. If you can make a Moscow Mule, then you can make an Irish Mule. The only thing we’ll be doing differently is swapping out the vodka for whiskey. Ideally, you would use Irish whiskey but I usually only have corn whiskey on hand. If you’re curious about the distinctions between all the different types of whiskeys (bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey, etc.) read this enlightening article.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Since I have Celiac disease, I steer clear from anything with wheat, barley, or rye. There is a lot of debate in the medical world about whether or not whiskey with gluten-containing grains is safe for consumption for individuals with Celiac. Some say the distillation process obliterates the gluten protein while others say even a trace amount is enough to cause an immune reaction. Personally, I’ve been playing it safe since I was diagnosed in 2014. Corn whiskey for me!

How amazing are these clovers? I mean, check out the size of the one in the mug–it’s bigger than a quarter! I live a bit out in the country and the back of our property is covered with clovers. In fact, they’re a favorite snack for our chickens. I *will* confess that I spent a little too much time looking for a four-leafed one. Alas, those may be as elusive as the leprechauns at the end of a rainbow.

Did you know that the reason clovers are associated with St. Patrick’s Day is because Saint Patrick used them as a means to explain the Holy Trinity? It’s a model that falls short of explaining such a complex concept, but that’s a topic for a theology blog, not a cocktail blog. 😅

While you definitely don’t have to serve this cocktail in a copper mug, using one definitely does up the experience. Check out all of these gorgeous options that are all less than $20.

If you like whiskey (not everyone does) and you like ginger beer (not everyone does), then you’ll enjoy the Irish Mule. Happy [early] St. Patrick’s Day!

An Irish Mule is an easy way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This light and refreshing cocktail only has 3 ingredients: whiskey + ginger beer + lime juice.

The Ingredients

  • 1.5 – 2 oz whiskey (Corn whiskey keeps things 100% gluten-free, but Irish whiskey makes this drink authentically Irish. You do you, boo.)
  • 4+ oz ginger beer (this one is my favorite)
  • 1/2 lime

How to make an Irish Mule

Fill a copper mug (or a lowball glass) with ice. Pour in your whiskey and fill the rest of your mug with ginger beer. Squeeze in half a lime. Stir to mix.

Wedding Gifts Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
vodka

Orange Cassidy | A Freshly-Squeezed Take on a Moscow Mule

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I have quite the schpeel to go with this Moscow mule modification. There’s a slim chance you know the name Orange Cassidy already. If you do, I love you for it. If not, well…. hopefully you’ll still love me after this is all over with.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

My schpeel starts with a confession and ends with exciting news. Okay. Are you ready? I… am a huge wrestling fan. But it hasn’t always been this way, or at least not for a while. I grew up begging my parents to let me watch WWF and WCW with my brother, probably like most kids in the 90s. I loved me some DDP and Sting. And then I remember learning that it was “fake” and feeling crushed. Deceived. Betrayed. How could this be true????

Orange Cassidy, a cocktail inspired by AEW's too-cool-to-care Orange Cassidy

My husband was a fan, too, and he even had his own persona in his neighborhood wrestling league as a kid. When he told me that a new wrestling league, All Elite Wrestling, was premiering several months ago, I didn’t really care. The night it premiered, he was hooping and hollering from the other room and truthfully I gave him a hard time about it. This is fake, you know, I told him, how are you into this again? Well, joke’s on me because the next week I was watching with him and couldn’t get enough. I have a confession, I muttered the next morning, I can’t stop thinking about AEW.

Now here we are, 5 months later, heading to our first-ever live wrestling event. (I’ll keep the price of the tickets to myself to hold on to what remaining pride I have left.) To say I’m stoked would an understatement. I’M FLIPPING OUT. Make fun of me all you want, but the skill that these people have is insane. The extra drama just makes it even more entertaining. Is it cheesy? Oh totally. But I am HERE FOR IT. Every Wednesday (and Tuesday). It’s a thrilling blend of pure athleticism and theatre. Pure entertainment, I tell ya.

Confession: dropped. News: shared. Now I can tell you about the drink. Orange Cassidy is the name of one of these wrestlers. His shtick is that he’s too cool to take himself seriously. Check out the vid to get an understanding of this joker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lGdYtaclkk

I wanted to think of a drink that embodied his “can’t be bothered to care” attitude. It’s simple, down-to-earth, and has a slight zing to it. Just like Orange Cassidy.

Orange Cassidy | All Elite Wrestling Cocktail Series A Moscow mule variation that captures Orange Cassidy's "can't be bothered to care" attitude. It's simple, down-to-earth, and has a zing to it. Just like Orange Cassidy.

The Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 1/2 oz orange liqueur
  • 1/2 oz freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • zest from orange & lemon
  • 1 fresh sage leaf
  • dash of bitters (optional)
  • ginger beer

The How-To

Pour the vodka into a cocktail shaker. Muddle the sage in the shaker with a muddler or the back of a spoon to release that earthy goodness. Add ice some ice and zest the orange and lemon into the shaker. Add the freshly-squeezed Orange Cassidy orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice. Dash that bitters. Shake. Pour into a copper mug or lowball glass filled with ice. Top off with your ginger beer. Garnish with an orange slice and Orange Cassidy’s signature aviators.

**This cocktail will be the first of many in my AEW cocktail series. Brace yourself. I’ve got a notepad filled with inspiration.**

Wedding Gifts Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
Orange Cassidy, a Moscow mule cocktail inspired by AEW's too-cool-to-care Orange Cassidy

Intrigued by AEW? Check it out on Wednesday 7pm CST on TNT and on Tuesdays 6pm CST on YouTube. If you have Hulu, you can get yourself caught up on all the previous eps. Just in time for the upcoming pay-per-view on February 29th. (Do I sound like a paid representative yet? …One can wish.)

Orange Cassidy

A freshly-squeezed take on a Moscow Mule.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz vodka
  • ½ oz orange liqueur
  • ½ oz freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • ½ oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • zest from orange or lemon
  • 1 sage leaf
  • 2+ oz ginger beer

Instructions
 

  • Add the vodka & sage leaf into a cocktail shaker.
  • Muddle the sage with a muddler or the back of a spoon to release that earthy goodness.
  • Add ice some ice, the juices, and zest the orange and/or lemon into the shaker.
  • Shake well.
  • Pour into a copper mug or lowball glass filled with ice.
  • Top off with your ginger beer.
  • Garnish with an orange slice and drink while wearing Orange Cassidy's signature aviators.
Keyword ginger beer, lemon, lime, orange blossom water, orange liqueur, sage, vodka
Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
whiskey

Pick 6 | The Perfect Super Bowl Cocktail

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The Pick 6, the perfect Super bowl cocktail

I love me some football, but I’m never too stoked about the Super Bowl. Probably because my team never comes close to making it there. Maybe that makes me a sore loser or maybe it makes me a loyal fan. No matter what your views are on football, I think the nation agrees that the Super Bowl is one of the best food events of the year.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

If you’re looking for a drink that’ll please a crowd, consider the Pick 6. It’s a little bit sweet & a little bit sour. Kinda like a Pick 6 in football. Well, really sweet for one team, really sour for the other.

In case you’re not football literate, a “pick 6” is when the defensive team intercepts the ball and immediately scores a touchdown, earning 6 points. Throw that term out there at your Super Bowl party and you might impress. “Man, we could really use a pick 6 right about now!” And if someone gives you a funny look and you think you might’ve used it incorrectly, just say “The drink. I mean the drink.” I got your back.

The Ingredients for a Pick 6 (aka Perfect Super Bowl Cocktail)

  • 1 – 1 1/2 oz whiskey (I use corn whiskey to keep things 100% gluten-free, but use your favorite)
  • 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (or lemonade if you have it at your party already!)
  • 1/2 oz honey simple syrup (it’s super easy, don’t be intimidated)
  • 2-4 oz ginger beer

How to Make a Pick 6 (aka Perfect Super Bowl Cocktail)

Whip up a batch of honey simple syrup– it’ll only take about 2 minutes, promise. Let it cool a bit while you get the rest of the drink ready.

Pour the whiskey into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add the lemon juice, then the honey simple syrup. Shake well to mix and flash-chill the syrup. Pour into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer.

The glass I used is smaller than most lowball glasses so I didn’t have much room for the ginger beer. Sip a little and make room for it if you need to.

Pick 6

The Pick 6 is the perfect cocktail to please a crowd, making it a great choice for Super Bowl parties and other social functions.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz whiskey (use corn whiskey if you need to be celiac-friendly)
  • ½ oz fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz honey simple syrup (see note for how to make it)
  • 2-3 oz ginger beer

Instructions
 

  • Pour the whiskey, lemon juice, and honey simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well to mix.
  • Pour into a lowball glass filled with ice.
  • Top the rest of the glass off with the ginger beer.

Notes

Honey simple syrup is incredibly easy to make. You can check out the recipe here. f
Keyword ginger beer, honey, lemon, whiskey
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Moscow Mule
vodka

Moscow Mule | The Easiest 3 Ingredient Cocktail to Make at Home

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Moscow Mule | The Gateway Cocktail for Cocktail Newbies.

*MOST* people have had a Moscow Mule these days. I feel like it’s the gateway-drink for craft cocktails. It’s a simple drink that’s refreshing and super versatile but I feel like the real reason it’s gained popularity over the past couple years is due to the copper mugs they’re traditionally served in. And while you can definitely have a Moscow Mule in a clear glass, there’s something about having it served ice cold in one of these babies.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Why are Moscow Mules served in copper mugs anyway? There’s a really fun story behind the tradition that you can read here, but when it boils down to it, it’s because the copper makes the drink extra cold. Really, this is true of any metal cup (like silver mint julep cups). For this reason, I sometimes enjoy other drinks, like Dark & Stormys and Jam Cocktails, in my copper mugs.

If you’re looking to invest in some of these trendy glasses, check out this site. They have a ton of different designs and all of them are affordable. Some of them can even be customized.

Once you’ve mastered this simple recipe, start experimenting! Sub the vodka for tequila and you’ve got yourself a Mexican Mule. Whiskey lover? Try an Irish Mule. Or use bourbon instead and you’ve got yourself a Kentucky Mule. The variations could go on forever.

Being able to whip these babies up at home will save you some dough and maybe even earn you some cool points with your friends. Let me know what variations you try!

Ingredients for a Moscow Mule

The How-To

Add ice to your copper mug. Pour the vodka over the ice and fill the rest of the glass with ginger beer. Squeeze all that lime juice. Stir. Serve with an additional lime wedge.

Wedding Gifts Copper Mugs Moscow Mules

Think this recipe was easy? Check out the Dark & Stormy. It only has 2 ingredients. Yep. Two. Or check out these other 3 ingredient cocktails:

Moscow Mule

An easy, refreshing cocktail with only 3 ingredients.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½-2 oz vodka
  • 3+ oz ginger beer (Bundaberg is my favorite brand)
  • ½ lime

Instructions
 

  • Add ice to a copper mug.
  • Pour in the vodka.
  • Squeeze the lime into the mug.
  • Pour in the ginger beer until it reaches the top.
  • Stir to mix.
  • Garnish with a slice of lime or plop the used lime half in.
Keyword ginger beer, lime, moscow mule, vodka
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Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
rum

Dark and Stormy | The Easiest Cocktail You’ll Make Over & Over Again

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The Dark and Stormy is one of the easiest cocktails to make at home. With only 2 ingredients, you'll be making this cocktail over and over again.

The Dark and Stormy is the cocktail I’ve made more times than I can count. It’s definitely my go-to drink when I want a cocktail but I don’t want to think or measure or pour a handful of ingredients. I love cocktails (obvs) but sometimes even I don’t feel like fussing around with extra stuff. Besides a gin & tonic, this may be the easiest cocktail to make. I’d say it’s definitely the tastiest easiest cocktail.

This stupid-simple cocktail is only two ingredients: dark rum & ginger beer. The lime is optional but definitely a great addition. I enjoy my Dark and Stormy both with and without lime– it adds a great fresh element to the drink. But let’s be real– sometimes even cutting up a lime is too much work when I just need want a drink.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

If you haven’t had ginger beer, it’s a non-alcoholic soda with a spicy kick. It’s got a much stronger ginger taste than ginger ale. Technically speaking, this drink can only be called a Dark and Stormy if it uses Gosling Black Seal rum so it’s sometimes referred to as a Safe Harbor. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious and so easy to make.

Not all ginger beers are created equal. Some are very light (closer to ginger ale) while others are suupperr strong and spicy. Try out a few brands to see what you like best. I personally tend to prefer a pretty strong ginger flavor, so Bundaberg is my favorite. It was the main ginger beer brand at my grocery store in Reno. However, I can’t find them locally here in Texas so my new love is actually the HEB brand. (Shout out to HEB– ilu!) It packs a surprising punch.

I’ve gotta be honest and say that EVERY time I make a Dark and Stormy, I use spiced rum. It’s not the classic recipe, but I definitely prefer it. Try it with dark rum, spiced rum, or even aged rum and see what you prefer.

I think making it with spiced rum really balances out the spiciness of the ginger beer. Spiced rum is actually referring to the fact that it has a lot of spices in it, like cinnamon and allspice, not that it’s spicy-hot. So really, spiced rum often tastes sweeter than traditional rum. The combo of sweet spiced rum, spicy ginger beer, & tart lime creates a beautiful symphony of flavors for your tastebuds. 👏 A multi-dimensional drink with minimal ingredients? SIGN.ME.UP.

The Dark and Stormy is one of the easiest cocktails to make at home. With only 2 ingredients, you'll be making this cocktail over and over again.

Also, can we talk for a second about this butterfly? It’s a Red Admiral butterfly and we’ve had so many on our property lately. This one would NOT leave me alone while I was drinking my Dark & Stormy outside. It would fly around for a few seconds, land on the railing, fly around again, and then land back on the railing an inch or so from where it was previously. It even landed on my hand! I thought I was gonna explode from pure joy.

The Dark and Stormy is one of the easiest cocktails to make at home. With only 2 ingredients, you'll be making this cocktail over and over again.

What about you– what’s your go-to cocktail when you don’t want to spend any unnecessary time fussing around with ingredients? Let me know in a comment below.

The Ingredients for a Dark and Stormy

The How-To

Fill a low-ball glass with ice. Add the rum. Top with ginger beer. Stir to mix. Enjoy the easiest cocktail you’ve ever made.

Dark and Stormy recipe

Dark and Stormy

The Dark and Stormy cocktail, sometimes called a Safe Harbor, is a delicious 2-ingredient cocktail with dark rum and ginger beer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 min
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½-2 oz dark rum (spiced rum is my favorite)
  • 3+ oz ginger beer

Instructions
 

  • Add ice to a lowball glass.
  • Pour the rum and ginger beer into the glass.
  • Stir to combine.

Notes

The original recipe calls for dark rum but my favorite way to enjoy a Dark & Stormy is with spiced rum.
Keyword dark and stormy, dark rum, ginger beer, lime, rum, spiced rum

If you love this cocktail, check out the Sea Monster— it’s got spiced rum, ginger beer, grapefruit juice, and grenadine. Or try making the Moscow Mule or the Irish Mule if you’re feeling the ginger beer.

Diamond