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Cocktail History
The Mezcal Mule is a modern cocktail that was created in 2008 by Jim Meehan at PDT in New York City, New York. The recipe is based on the Moscow Mule template but is largely unrecognizable thanks to its base spirit of mezcal and omission of ginger beer in favor of a homemade ginger wort. It then adds in lime, passion fruit, and cucumber to balance out the spiciness and tops it all with a sprinkling of Tajín.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. We used Creyente Mezcal Joven because it has pleasantly smoky notes with a hint of fruit. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal.
Ginger Wort: This is a made with ginger root, brown sugar, lime juice, and water.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Passion Fruit Purée: This is a fruit spread made with puréed passion fruit, sugar, and water. We used homemade passion fruit purée.
Agave Syrup: This is a sweetener that is made from the fluid inside agave plants. We made ours at home using Alex’s recipe.
Cucumber Slice: This is a cucumber slice that has been thinly cut into wheel shape.
Candied Ginger: This is a slice of dried ginger root that has been rolled in sugar.
Tajín: This is a Mexican spice made with peppers, lime, and salt.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. We used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the KingSeal Bamboo Knot Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Mezcal Mule features verdant aromas of cucumber, fruit, and pepper and follows up with a spiced mezcal-laced flavor cooled by plenty of cucumber, and it finishes with the sweetness of passion fruit and small touches of chile spice left behind.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: For a recipe that lists mezcal as the headliner, the spirit is surprisingly mellowed by all of the other ingredients in a great way. The Mezcal Mule is also a perfect gateway drink to its wonderful flavors for those uninitiated to the smoky agave spirit, while the casual enjoyer and frequent imbibers alike will appreciate its combination of expertly complementing ingredients.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“While a far cry from the traditional Moscow Mule format, this ingredient-loaded drink checks plenty of boxes, including the spicy ginger factor. Smoky mezcal is tamed way down here, making it plenty palatable even to those who aren’t fans, while passion fruit brings a tropical sweetness forward and ginger beer’s fermented quality complements both ingredients thoroughly. Cucumber, finally, rounded the whole thing out with its coolness. This was a super tasty drink, and its labor-intensiveness was certainly worth it.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This has to be the most interesting Moscow Mule we’ve tried yet, mostly because it doesn’t come across as one all that much due to there being no fizzy carbonation. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work though! It absolutely does. The ginger is still quite prominent but is delivered in a slightly different format than would be expected in a cocktail bearing its name. The mezcal is also there, but I didn’t find it overwhelming enough to inherently dislike the drink. I liked this a fair amount and could see myself trying it again when I’m feeling adventurous.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.
![Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave [A Cocktail Recipe Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41J8UixQqLL._SL75_.jpg)
Add three cucumber slices and agave syrup to a shaker.
Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.
Add mezcal, ginger wort, lime juice, passion fruit purée, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a Moscow Mule mug or lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with remaining cucumber slice and candied ginger.
Ingredients
Directions
Add three cucumber slices and agave syrup to a shaker.
Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.
Add mezcal, ginger wort, lime juice, passion fruit purée, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a Moscow Mule mug or lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with remaining cucumber slice and candied ginger.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Mezcal Cocktails
If you like this mezcal-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Privateer (Variation): A tequila cocktail made with passion fruit syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice, smoke and salt bitters, rosemary, and Tajín
The Marriage of Maguey: A mezcal and tequila cocktail made with coffee chocolate liqueur, orange curaçao, and agave syrup
Old Grampian: A Scotch cocktail made with honey syrup, Angostura aromatic bitters, orange bitters, and an orange peel
Sabueso Old Fashioned: A tequila and mezcal cocktail made with caramel coffee syrup, coffee and chocolate bitters, and an orange peel
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