Kentucky Mule Cocktail

If you love a good Kentucky bourbon, then you must try this Kentucky mule cocktail. This one is a twist on an old standard. It’s full of spicy ginger, smooth caramel and a little bit of citrus twist.

What is a Kentucky Mule Cocktail?

A Kentucky mule is a combination of Kentucky bourbon such as wild turkey, lime juice, ice, ginger beer and a garnish of mint. This drink has a sweet caramel bite which is quickly smooth into a spicy ginger with a hint of mint.

This drink is a twist on a classic Moscow mule. The difference is you use Kentucky bourbon instead of vodka.

This cocktail is part of the family of buck drinks which are cocktails that combine liquor, citrus juice and ginger ale or ginger beer.

Mule drinks such as this one are typically served in a copper mug. The copper mug provides a nice insulation to keep the drink extra cold while you sip on it.

Though the tradition is to serve this drink in a copper mug, you certainly don’t have to use one. So, if you don’t have a copper mug simply use a highball glass or other glassware that you prefer.

The Kentucky Bourbon in this drink lens a spicy and sweet caramel flavor. It contributes all of the alcohol content to this cocktail. We really love wild turkey, but you can certainly use any type of Kentucky bourbon that you prefer.

The predominant flavor in this drink comes from the spicy, fizzy ginger beer. So, make sure to use a high quality ginger beer whenever possible.

When to Make This Drink:

This drink can be refreshing in versatile. It’s super easy to make and can be served at times such as:

• happy hour
• summer sipping
• afternoon cocktails
• drinks with dinner

Variations:

With only three ingredients, there’s only so much variation you can make for this drink. However, here are a few ideas to try:

• Squeeze your own lime juice. Use freshly squeezed lime juice instead of store-bought for an extra fresh flavor.
• Use a different Kentucky bourbon. We like wild turkey. However, there are large variety of different Kentucky bourbons you can try each with their own slightly different flavor profile.
• Add a little sweetness. Add a dash of simple syrup sweeten this drink. Or, you can try out a flavored simple syrup such as ginger simple syrup or mint simple syrup to capitalize on some of the flavors.
• Try a different liquor. Create an Irish mule by using Irish whiskey, create a Mexican mule by using tequila or create a Gin Gin mule by using gin.

How to make this drink:

With only three ingredients and no shaking or steering required, this is one of the easiest drinks to make. If you’ve got 5 minutes or less you can get this one ready.

Equipment:

• Copper Mug
• jigger

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 4 oz Ginger beer
• .5 oz Lime juice
• Top with mint leaves
• Ice

Instructions:

Step one

Collect everything you need to make this cocktail including Kentucky bourbon, ginger beer, lime juice, ice, jigger, spring of mint and copper mug.

Step two

Toss enough ice into the copper mug to fill it to the top.

Step three

Pick up the Kentucky bourbon. Then, measure 2 oz of bourbon with the jigger. Pour the bourbon into the mug.

Step four

Pick up the lime juice. Then, measure 0.5 oz of lime juice with a jigger. Pour the lime juice into the mug.

Step Five

Pick up the ginger beer. Then, measure 4 oz of ginger beer with a jigger. Pour the ginger beer into the mug.

Recipe