Squid Mixes: Moscow Mule

Ginger is a big deal at our house.  My wife and daughter feel about ginger the way I feel about garlic, which is to say that putting it in anything is always the right choice.  So, a suggestion to buy ginger beer tends to be well received.

The Moscow Mule is the most popular of the buck family of drinks.  My recipe came from The New York Bartender's Guide.  It mixes ginger beer with vodka, plus a bit of lime juice.  Regular visitors may recall that last year, my wife and I explored scotch whiskey as part of our Advent celebration.  This year, we are exploring locally-made Vermont spirits.  I made the mules with Smugglers' Notch Distillery vodka, perfectly serviceable.  Vodka is not the world's most satisfying choice for mixed drinks as its own flavor disappears - by design, of course.  If you really like the mixer, though, as we do, it works just fine.

The two other local spirits we've tried so far are Barr Hill Gin and Mad River First Run Rum.  The gin is a bit unusual for the fact that it is made with honey in addition to the usual juniper berries.  It made for an interesting gin and tonic.  I'm not sure I like it exactly but it's fun for something different.  The rum is nice.  Overall, the local spirits haven't been over-the-top wonderful but they serve their purpose just fine.