my kentucky mule

I love playing bartender, inventing new drinks. When I read a description of a Moscow Mule recently, I thought, “Aha! I’m going to make one with bourbon instead of vodka and call it a Kentucky Mule.” I poured some spicy ginger beer over ice, added a glug of Maker’s Mark, more ginger beer, a squeeze of lime, a pinch of mint and gave it a quick stir. Well, duh. It turns I didn’t invent it — there are recipes for Kentucky mules all over the place — but I’ll take a simple cocktail like this over a complicated artisanal concoction any night…made with bourbon, vodka, gin, tequila, whatever.

ingredients

ice
one 12-ounce bottle ginger beer
good bourbon or spirit of choice
1/2 lime
2 mint sprigs

directions

Put ice in two highball or other approximately 8-ounce cocktail glasses (or double it and stir in a cocktail shaker). Fill each glass one-quarter full with ginger beer, then pour in bourbon to taste, then top with remaining ginger beer. Cut lime half in half (in other words, make two lime quarters) and squeeze one piece into each glass. Drop in lime. Garnish with mint, stir and drink right away.