Dad’s Day Cocktails

Looking for a special cocktail for Dad’s special day?  How about a Mule?  Mules are easy to make and easy to customize.  So, read on for a few ideas.

The Secret to Great Mules

Whether you are making a classic Moscow Mule or some variety, the one thing that will take your cocktail over the top is fresh ginger.  This will mean that you cannot build the Mule in a glass or mug, but the added zing makes the effort worthwhile.  The easiest way to use fresh ginger is to purchase frozen crushed ginger at your supermarket. This generally comes in 1 tsp squares.  I cut the frozen square into 4 pieces and use 1 per cocktail.  Alternatively, slice a coin of fresh ginger from a ginger root and crush it with your muddler in your shaking tin.  You don’t even need to peel it first.

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule – 3 Ways (or maybe 6 ways!)

Mules, those descendants of the Moscow Mule in all their forms, are becoming more and more popular.  Why?  Because they are a) easy to prepare and b) taste great.  What better cocktail to serve your guests than this popular libation?  Now, you Moscow Mule aficionados out there can rightly complain…

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Rocky Mule

I have created several cocktails with Dorçol’s Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy*.  It makes for an interesting twist on anything made with gin or vodka, (or tequila or bourbon for that mater).  For this Mule, I tried 3 different apricot brandies whose brands will go unmentioned.  They were either too sweet,…

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Cheers!

 



Cucumber Jalapeño Mule – 3 Ways (or maybe 6 ways!)

Cuc Jalapeno Lime MuleMules, those descendants of the Moscow Mule in all their forms, are becoming more and more popular.  Why?  Because they are a) easy to prepare and b) taste great.  What better cocktail to serve your guests than this popular libation?  Now, you Moscow Mule aficionados out there can rightly complain that all of these erstwhile concoctions containing ginger beer are not Mules.  Just like the Martini was co-opted into many forms, the Mule now has countless varieties.  So all I can say is: “Smile, deal with it and serve your guests delicious drinks!”

These Mules are all based on muddled cucumbers and seeded jalapeños. What changes is the fruit juice and the base spirit.  I started to call these, “South Texas Mules”, since I used either Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey, or Cinco Vodka which are both distilled here in South Texas. You can use either spirit in any of these cocktails.  Each brings its own twist to the party.  I found that I preferred the Whiskey with the cranberry and the Vodka with the pomegranate.

Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey is their ‘White Dog,’ or unaged bourbon.  It is slightly sweet and a bit grainy with a hint of fruit.  It also has the ‘bite’ of white whiskey.  Cinco Vodka has a slight aroma of alcohol, but beneath that is a light, pleasant note of grain. The flavors are mostly neutral, with hints of wheat and some vanilla.

The secret to any cocktail is premium ingredients, but:

The Secret to Great Mules

Rocky MuleWhether you are making a classic Moscow Mule or some variety, the one thing that will take your cocktail over the top is fresh ginger.  This will mean that you cannot build the Mule in a glass or mug, but the added zing makes the effort worthwhile.  The easiest way to use fresh ginger is to purchase frozen crushed ginger at your supermarket. This generally comes in 1 tsp squares.  I cut the frozen square into 4 pieces and use 1 per cocktail.  Alternatively, slice a coin of fresh ginger from a ginger root and crush it with your muddler in your shaking tin.  You don’t even need to peel it first.

You can easily offer all 6 varieties of this Mule at your next party.  Pre-slice the cucumber and ginger.  Stem the jalapeños and split them down the center lengthwise.  They are easy to seed this way.  Then just slice them short wise and use 4 pieces to equal 2 slices.

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule

Let’s start with lime.  This is as close the the classic Moscow Mule as any of these come.  I like both the Whiskey and Vodka versions of this.  This cocktail is ginger forward with a background freshness from the cucumber.  The jalapeño stays behind the scene enhancing the cucumber.Cuc Jalapeno Mule CU

  • 3 – 4 slices of fresh cucumber – I used the English variety
  • 2 slices seeded jalapeño
  • 1 slice Fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp fresh frozen crushed ginger
  • 2 oz. Fresh lime juice
  • 2 oz. White Whiskey or Vodka
  • 1 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
  • 6 oz Ginger Beer (I use Goslings or Fever Tree)
  • Slice of lime for garnish
  1. Muddle cucumber, jalapeño and ginger with the lime juice in your shaker tin
  2. Add Spirit of choice and simple syrup.
  3. Fill shaker with ice cubes and shake to chill and further muddle: 20-30 seconds
  4. Double strain into Copper Mug or chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
  5. Add Ginger Beer and garnish

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule with Cranberry

Cuc Jalapeno Cran MuleAs noted above, I preferred the Whiskey with this, but the Vodka is good too.  The recipe is the same as with the lime juice – just substitute the cranberry juice.  I use an organic, unsweetened brand.  The cocktail is tart with spicy ginger.  The cucumber and cranberry go very well together.  I generally serve Mules in the appropriate copper mug, but I wanted to picture this with the color.  This will make a great Holiday cocktail – bright red and fizzy!

  • 3 – 4 slices of fresh cucumber – I used the English variety
  • 2 slices seeded jalapeño
  • 1 slice Fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp fresh frozen crushed ginger
  • 2 oz. Unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 2 oz. White Whiskey or Vodka (I preferred the White Whiskey)
  • 1 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
  • 6 oz Ginger Beer (I use Goslings or Fever Tree)
  1. Muddle cucumber, jalapeño and ginger with the cranberry juice in your shaker tin
  2. Add Spirit of choice and simple syrup.
  3. Fill shaker with ice cubes and shake to chill and further muddle: 20-30 seconds
  4. Double strain into Copper Mug or chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
  5. Add Ginger Beer

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule with Pomegranate

The pomegranate adds a rich note and is not as tart as either the lime or cranberry varieties above.   I used Pom brand which is unsweetened, but is sweeter than some others I’ve had.  The recipe is a bit different because of the sweetness of the Pom.  You might need to adjust the pomegranate to simple syrup ratio if you use a different brand.

  • 3 – 4 slices of fresh cucumber – I used the English varietyCuc Jalapeno Pom Mule CU
  • 2 slices seeded jalapeño
  • 1 slice Fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp fresh frozen crushed ginger
  • 2 1/2 oz. Unsweetened pomegranate juice
  • 2 oz. White Whiskey or Vodka (I preferred the White Whiskey)
  • 1/2 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
  • 6 oz Ginger Beer (I use Goslings or Fever Tree)
  1. Muddle cucumber, jalapeño and ginger with the pomegranate juice in your shaker tin
  2. Add Spirit of choice and simple syrup.
  3. Fill shaker with ice cubes and shake to chill and further muddle: 20-30 seconds
  4. Double strain into Copper Mug or chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
  5. Add Ginger Beer

So there they are.  These will be a simple way to offer multiple varieties of Mules to your guests.

Cheers!



Jerky Infused Coffee Pecan Old Fashioned

Jerky Infused Coffee Pecan Old FashionedI got the idea of jerky infused white whiskey from the Ranger Creek folks at this years San Antonio Cocktail Conference.  My original intent was to use it to make Bloody Mary’s.  However, I found that the tomato overwhelmed the jerky flavor.  More importantly, I started out making a huge mistake which resulted in me pouring half a bottle of Ranger Creek .36 White down the drain.  More on that below,* but for now, on with the cocktail.

Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey is their ‘White Dog,’ or unaged bourbon.  It is slightly sweet and a bit grainy with a hint of fruit.  It also has the ‘bite’ of white whiskey.  As a base spirit for infusing, it brings it’s own flavor profile and is an interesting substitute for vodka or grain alcohol.  For the infusion, I used my own beef jerky which is flavored with soy sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce, Pick-a-Pepper Sauce, crushed red peppers, cayenne and liquid smoke*.  I let the jerky and whiskey steep for 2 weeks, tasting daily.  Here are the recipes:

For the Infusion

Jerky Infused White Whiskey 2

  • 375 ml Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey**
  • 20 grams Beef Jerky – without added nitrites
  1. Double filterCombine ingredients in a mason jar, seal and allow to sit at room temperature
  2. Shake daily
  3. After 2 or 3 days, begin tasting daily until flavors are fully developed: 7-14 days
  4. When the infusion is ready, loosen the mason jar lid and set the jar upright in your freezer overnight.
  5. Freeze a metal coffee filter for at least 2 hours
  6. Place frozen coffee filter inside a paper coffee filter over a funnel and filterDouble filter in filter the whiskey into a measuring cup.  The metal filter will catch the larger bits and the paper will filter the rest.  This will remove the frozen fat.  If you use a warm filter, the fat will melt and pass through the filter.
  7. If there is still fat floating on your whiskey, repeat steps 4-6.

Jerky Infused Coffee Pecan Old Fashioned

Jerky Infused Coffee Pecan Old Fashioned sm

This is a complex cocktail.  The nose is pecan, caramel and coffee – like your Mom’s kitchen on Sunday morning when she had pecan rolls in the oven and coffee brewing on the counter.  So your nose prepares your tongue for something sweet.  Wrong!  The first taste is a combination of jerky, pecan and bitter chocolate with the whiskey in the background.  Then it’s coffee and finishes with the whiskey and spices of the jerky.  Nothing sweet about this cocktail.  I used my own Coffee Pecan Bitters but you can buy various brands at better liquor stores.  You want to use enough bitters to add flavor and just balance the bitterness with the agave.  The jerky infused white whiskey does not do well with sweet.

  • 1 1/2 oz. Beef Jerky infused White Whiskey
  • 2-3 dashes Coffee Pecan Bitters
  • 1-2 dashes Agave syrup
  • Lemon Peel for garnish
  1. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish in a room temperature single old fashioned glass and stir to combine and to dissolve the agave.
  2. Carefully drop in a single large ice cube
  3. Express the lemon peel over the drink and drop it in.

Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky

In case you don’t know what dried beef looks like!

This recipe creates a fairly spicy jerky.  If you want to cut the heat, drop the crushed red pepper and chose a mild Louisiana style hot sauce.  You can dry this in a dehydrator or in your oven.  If using an oven, set a half sheet pan on the lowest rack to catch drips and then lay out the jerky strips directly on racks set above.  Four pounds will require 2-3 racks.

  • 4 lbs. Beef Bottom Round cut into thin strips
  • 3 Tbl. Soy Sauce (Not low sodium)
  • 1 Tbl. Louisiana, or similar, hot sauce
  • 1 Tbl Pick A Pepper Sauce
  • 1/2 Tbl Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tbl Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1 Tbl. Cayenne
  • 1 Tbl Liquid Smoke
  1. In a mixing bowl large enough to hold the meat, combine all of the ingredients except the beef.  Stir well and begin adding the beef mixing as you go.  Be sure all of the beef is as well covered as possible.
  2. Cover tightly and let sit on the counter for 30 min or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
  3. Spread the strips on your dehydrator trays or oven racks.
  4. Dry overnight at 125° F for the dehydrator or 150° F  for your oven.
  5. Store jerky in a loosely covered container to allow air circulation.
  6. I have no idea how long it will keep.  It is always gone in less than a week!

*I did not find organic beef jerky at the store.  The organic, ‘uncured’ varieties were venison, turkey and salmon.  So I used a decent brand of beef jerky.  Unfortunately, the whiskey was very efficient at extracting the sodium nitrites, or ‘pink salt’, used to preserve the jerky.  The result was a predominant metallic taste.  The infused whiskey was irretrievable.  So, either use your own homemade jerky or buy a brand that has no added nitrites.

**Doc Elliott’s Mixology receives no compensation for brands mentioned.

Cheers!