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Cocktail History
The Winter Gin Mule is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created as a winter-inspired variation of the Holiday Gin Mule, another original Christmas cocktail from 2021. This version was specifically made for Far North Spirits Solveig 2021 Anna’s Garden Gin, a limited edition spirit that is light blue in color and flavored with a unique blend of herbs. In this recipe, the earthiness of the spirit is balanced by the sweetness of our homemade winter herb syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Angelica Gin: This is a type of gin made with angelica root, herbs, juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Far North Spirits Solveig 2021 Anna’s Garden Gin because it has a classic gin flavor with notes of herbs and lemon and a faint blue color. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Winter Herb Syrup: This is a sweetener made with rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, sage leaves, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Ginger Beer: This is a carbonated beverage made with ginger spice, yeast, and sugar. We used Q Mixers Ginger Beer because it has a delicious ginger flavor that is sweetened with agave syrup.
Blue Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, spices, blue food coloring, and alcohol. We used DeKuyper Blue Curaçao Liqueur because it has a potent orange flavor and bright blue color. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Blue Curaçao Syrup in place of the blue curaçao liqueur.
Rosemary: This is an evergreen herb.
Cherry: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. We used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries because they’re high quality and delicious.
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.
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. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Winter Gin Mule features aromas of savory rosemary and floral botanicals and a taste that features ginger beer’s kick accented by sage, rosemary, and bright angelica along with a hint of lime to balance the sweetness. The aftertaste then leaves a lingering floral but woodsy note that tows the line between winter and spring moods.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although its template is similar to our Christmas mule, this one couldn’t be more unique thanks to the gin and herbal syrup. We both though the Winter Gin Mule tasted just as wonderful as it looked in our hands!
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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This drink, served as a mid-winter take on the Holiday Gin Mule we shared at Christmas, essentially takes the same recipe but swaps out the gin and simple syrup to make a different combination. The result was a wild botanical ride, with all of the different winter herbs serving as accenting notes to the floral gin. Plus, it has a gorgeous blue color from the gin thanks to a drop of blue curaçao. When topped with a cherry and rosemary sprig, it helps to make the cold dead of winter a bit more bearable with its tasty herbal flavors and refreshing ginger kick.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Our Holiday Gin Mule was my favorite Christmas cocktail of 2021, so I was really excited when Alex and I decided to create a winter-inspired version with a blue, locally made gin from Far North Spirits. Although made with similar specs, this version is entirely different—much lighter and herbal without the same bitter bite the blackcurrant gin had. I can see this being even more palatable than the Christmas version, and the color is fun for this time of year.”
Recipe
Add gin, winter herb syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh crushed ice.
Top with ginger beer and blue curaçao.
Stir gently for 3-5 seconds.
Garnish with rosemary sprig and cherry.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, winter herb syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh crushed ice.
Top with ginger beer and blue curaçao.
Stir gently for 3-5 seconds.
Garnish with rosemary sprig and cherry.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin and Monin Premium Blue Curaçao Syrup in place of the blue curaçao liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Winter Cocktails
If you like this winter-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Winter Pimm’s Cup: A Pimm’s liqueur cocktail made with lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger syrup, American lager, blood orange slices, cranberries, rosemary, and oregano
Winter Mojito: A rum cocktail made with lime juice, winter herb syrup, soda water, a lime slice, and rosemary
Chartreuse Toddy: A brandy cocktail made with water, Green Chartreuse, lemon juice, honey syrup, and star anise
Frostbite: A tequila cocktail made with blue curaçao, white crème de cacao, heavy cream, and a cherry
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2 Comments
Sameer Vaidya
I’m always on the lookout for cocktails to make for my family and friends each season – saw the photo and recipe of your Winter Gin Mule and instantly fell in love with it!
However – https://farnorthspirits.com/craft-distillery-gin/ -> Far North Spirits Solveig Anna’s Garden Gin: is showing a Spring seasonal pink in color (Hibiscus) rather than the blue indicated in your recipe.
Please advise if I should get the “Solveig” gin instead? or if you have alternate suggestions for which Gin would work best.
Thank you!
Alex & Kendall
We’re glad to hear you’re interested in trying this recipe, Sameer! It’s one of our favorites during the wintertime.
Also, good question about the gin. It appears that Far North Spirits Anna’s Garden Gin is a seasonal spirit that changes flavors each year. We bought our bottle in 2021 when it first came out, and that version was angelica-flavored and pale blue. We doubt you’ll be able to locate a bottle of that one at this point. We also aren’t sure if the distillery will bring it back, but you never know! In the meantime, the closest way to replicate the gin’s flavor would then be to use another clear angelica-flavored gin if you can find one. Even if the gin’s not blue, the dash of blue curaçao will be enough to give you the same brilliant hue you see in our photo. And if you can’t find angelica-flavored gin, you could definitely try the Solveig gin; it’s also great and would just be missing a few of the herbs they used in the flavored one.