Irish Mule

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

A tangy, tart and refreshing mixture of lime juice, ginger beer and Irish whiskey, the Irish Mule will keep your whistle wet on a hot night.

In the 1940s, the Moscow Mule was invented. But not in Russia, nor was it a planned thing either. No bartender, mixologist or drink enthusiast sat down in a lab and said to themselves, What can I create today? In fact, the origin of the Moscow Mule is more of a happy accident than anything else.

The home of the Moscow Mule turns out to be, of all places, Los Angeles, California. The story quickly goes: At the Cock ‘n Bull Bar in Hollywood, John G. Martin and Jack Morgan were trying to figure out what to do with all the vodka and ginger beer they ended up with, and how to market those products to early 1940s Los Angeles. As luck would have it, Russian immigrant Sophie Berezinski popped in one day, inquiring about how she could unload her overstock of copper mugs. Necessity is the mother of invention, so the three strangers put their heads, and products, together. The rest, as they say, is history.

And the Moscow Mule proved to be a very popular cocktail, eventually spreading across the U.S. and the world. So it would only make sense that barkeeps started to play around with the versatility that comes from the combination of ginger beer and lime juice. And when folks began to discover that Irish whiskey mixed beautifully with the spicy carbonated element and tart, citrus fruit juice, the Irish Mule was born.

A trendy tipple during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, the cold and fresh Irish Mule can be enjoyed any time of the year when you crave a little crisp refreshment.

What Is The Best Whiskey To Use In An Irish Mule?

Look, in all honesty, you can grab any whiskey you like, be it rye, Canadian or Japanese, mix it in this Mule and still have something delicious, and with bite. But this Mule is an Irish Mule, so for that we’ll need a whiskey from the Emerald Isle. Jameson, of course, is the most well-known, and can be found anywhere spirits are sold. But don’t sleep on Tullamore D.E.W.—which I indulged in this past St. Patrick’s Day—or a bottle of Bushmills. I used to swear by Jameson until I saw Sam Shepard’s play Simpatico some years back, where a few characters work through some Bushmills while singing its praises.

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH ARE USED?

A copper or silver Mule mug is the traditional way to enjoy drinks of this kind. It’ll keep your cocktail colder longer, and it looks pretty cool as well. If you don’t have any cups of this kind handy, a rocks or Old-Fashioned glass, garnished with a lime wedge and sprigs of fresh mint, will do the job nicely.

WHAT IS THE BEST GINGER BEER YOU CAN USE?

I’m a big fan of Fever-Tree mixers, and their ginger beer is amazing. Other brands that are also very good include Bundaberg, Goslings, Q Mixers and Reed’s.

Mule Variations That Aren’t A Tom Waits Album

The cool thing about a Mule cocktail is that there’s a nice amount of different versions you can order at the bar, or make for yourself at home. The fresh and cold taste of lime juice mixed with ginger beer lends itself to a good variety of Mules, and if you’d like to do a little exploring, let Twist & Toast help you out by pointing your expedition in the right direction.

• Gin Mule – Like the name suggests, this cocktail uses a balanced gin as its base.
• Mexican Mule – This South-of-the-Border Mule brings tequila to the party.
• Mezcal Mule – Make your next tipple a smoky, sweet affair with this recipe.
• Kentucky Mule – When you add bourbon to this concoction, you can tell your friends it’s from Kentucky.