My Beer of the Week series was fun and it taught me a lot about the vast diversity, complexity, and depth of beers in the world. It was also very, very delicious. But, beer isn’t the only form of alcohol and despite its maturity as a medium it is often seen as the lowbrow option of alcohol consumption. At the top though, the classy form of consumption?
Cocktails.
D has recently taken an interest in cocktails and in our new place we’ve got ourselves the beginning of a bar, and a bartender’s manual. It just made sense to use this opportunity to learn about how to make cocktails.
In San Diego D and I had our first Moscow Mules and we really liked the drink. In Seattle this year at a tourist trap bar we fell in love with the cocktail. (I know it is the last place you think you’d find a good cocktail, but Seattle Underground’s Moscow Mule was fantastic.) What makes the Moscow Mule so delicious is the interplay of ginger beer and lime. A sour, peppery, sweetness is not a taste profile that reads well BUT, it tastes really good. My first foray into bar tending turned out pretty good. In the future though I think I’m going to use a spicier ginger beer. Cool and refreshing these are great for long summer days!
Moscow Mule (serves 2)
- 1 1/2 oz vodka (I used Black Sea)
- 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- Ginger beer (to fill) (I used Bundaberg)
- Ice cubes (more like ice cube using this)
- Garnish: lime wheel
Shake the ingredients with ice and pour over fresh ice in a high ball glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
