Kentucky Mule

The KENTUCKY MULE is cousin to the Moscow Mule. It’s the same icy ginger-beer drink except it uses bourbon instead of vodka and adds mint along with the lime. Celebrate the Kentucky Derby or any occasion with a fizzy Kentucky Mule that will infuse your favorite Kentucky bourbon with the fresh flavors of lime and ginger.

Requirements: Bourbon, ginger beer, fresh lime juice, mint sprigs

• 2 oz. bourbon
• .5 oz. fresh lime juice (or one large lime wedge)
• mint sprigs
• Mule copper mug, rocks glass, or highball glass

Fill a frozen copper mug or glass with ice. Squeeze a medium-to-large wedge of lime over ice. Pour bourbon into the glass and top it with chilled ginger beer. Stir and garnish with mint sprigs and a lime wheel or wedge.

History: When an L.A. bartender created the Moscow Mule in the 1940’s, many in the U.S. shared no affinity for vodka, thinking it bland and tasteless. So the cocktail folks started experimenting shortly thereafter with regional spirits such as rum and of course American whiskey.

Comments: The only way to abuse this drink is to pour room-temperature ginger beer over the ice, thereby making the Kentucky Mule watery. So have a good ginger beer in the refrigerator, like Fever-Tree, Barritts, Reeds, Powell & Mahoney, Gosling’s, or sugar-free Zevia. You’ll get your own feel for the amount of ginger beer you prefer in your Kentucky Mule. Having a frozen copper mug or frozen glass handy is a big plus. Also, I prefer cubed ice, but some like crushed ice.

Similar Cocktails:

Mint Julep — https://keetscocktails.com/mint-julep-3

Brown Derby — https://keetscocktails.com/brown-derby-2

Vodka Mule — https://keetscocktails.com/vodka-mule-moscow-mule

Dark ‘n Stormy — https://keetscocktails.com/dark-n-stormy

Suffering Bastard — https://keetscocktails.com/suffering-bastard