Moscow Mule Shooters

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Someone proclaimed 2015 the “Year of the Mule” or something. Maybe. I think.

Well, whatever it was, the mule-inspired cocktail is everywhere these days.

A traditional Moscow Mule is vodka, ginger beer, and lime, served over ice in a copper mug. I went to one restaurant, where in a patriotic (?) move, they use an American-made vodka, serve it in a stainless steel mug, and call it an American Mule. I've made it with Cherry Vodka (Three Olives brand is a favorite) and it makes a super-refreshing variation for summer.

When I found these ridiculous little copper shot glasses at HomeGoods recently, I just knew what had to happen. Moscow Mule shooters.

When trying to refine a recipe to convert one of my favorite cocktails into a shot, my biggest concern was the bubbles of the ginger beer. I wasn't sure how to get the bite of ginger beer without the carbonation; after a little thought, the solution was to make a strong ginger simple syrup.

My friend Vikki first introduced me to ginger simple syrup last year, and I was instantly hooked. It's so easy to make, and keeps for several weeks in the fridge.

So first, make the ginger syrup. You'll just need three things:

A large piece of ginger, about the size of your hand
1 cup of sugar
3 cups of water

My recipe is more about the ginger than the sugar; Vikki's recipe has more sugar in it. Thinly slice the ginger and put it in a saucepan with the water and sugar. I use my mandolin to slice the ginger really, really thin, so get as much surface area as I possibly can.

Bring to a boil and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes, then strain out the ginger pieces and store in the fridge until you drink all the delicious, delicious syrup.