The Perfect Moscow Mule

One of my favorite summers drinks is a Moscow Mule! When it's hot and you just want something crisp, an ice cold drink in a copper mug is the perfect solution. I also like to make these fun and refreshing drinks because I usually have all the ingredients on hand. The traditional Moscow Mule only calls for Three ingredients: ginger beer, vodka and a lime. Like most of my "recipes," I've added my personal touch here to spice things up!

The spearmint in my herb garden grows like wildfire so I made a mint simple syrup to keep on hand for things like tea, lemonade or to drizzle over dessert. (It's also a great way to sweeten up some fruit if it isn't ripe enough!) Simple syrups are an easy way of adding a bit of sweetness to things without the grainy texture of undissolved sugar. The recipe is SUPER easy! All you have to do is mix together equal parts water and sugar over the stove until the sugar is dissolved. In this case, I pinched off some of my fresh mint and threw it in there to flavor the syrup. Once dissolved, take the mint sprigs out and let cool.

My version of a Moscow Mule is a tiny bit different than the classic recipe because I prefer club soda over ginger beer. Ginger beer can be a really strong flavor and sometimes overpowers the other flavors so I use equal parts to mellow it out. If you are a ginger beer lover, you can cut the club soda and use all GB. Fill mugs with ice and drink, top with a sprig of mint and a lime wedge - enjoy!

- 2 oz Ginger Beer

- 2 oz Club Soda

- 1.5 oz Vodka

- .5 oz mint simple syrup

- Fresh mint & lime wedge to garnish