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Cocktail History
The Jamaican Mule is a modern cocktail that was created by Jelani Johnson at the Clover Club in New York City, New York. It’s considered a tiki take on the vodka-based classic Moscow Mule that swaps out the base spirit for rum, substitutes a house-made ginger syrup in place of ginger beer, and adds pineapple and bitters to complement the other flavors.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. We used Appleton Estate Special Gold Rum because it has a delicious rum flavor with notes of vanilla and baking spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.
Ginger Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger, 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.
Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pineapple. We used fresh pineapple juice.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Candied Ginger: This is a slice of dried ginger root that has been rolled in sugar.
Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.
Orchid Blossom: This is the flower of an orchid plant.
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.
Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. We used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.
Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. We used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.
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, fruits, and vegetables. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer for the lime and the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer for the pineapple.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the Homestia Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Jamaican Mule starts with enticing aromas of ginger plus a spice-forward taste featuring rum and citrus balanced by sweetness from the pineapple and leaves with a lingering ginger spice on the throat.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We’re both big fans of ginger’s spicy tang, so we enjoyed the Jamaican Mule quite a bit. As for if we’d make it again, Kendall could take it or leave it to be honest. It mostly reminded her (and made her crave) Asian food a little too much. Alex though absolutely loved this cocktail and will definitely make it again.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I really liked this cocktail! I’ve been a fan of any and all kinds of Mules since they became mainstream, but this one is obviously a little different since it doesn’t use classic ginger beer and instead adds ginger flavor through a syrup while omitting bubbles altogether. The result is an experience that embodies tiki with its blend of Polynesian flavors and turns the Mule formula into a more spirit-forward drink. I definitely enjoyed it to the last drop.”
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This cocktail is tiki with an Asian kick! Ginger is definitely the most prevalent flavor, which to be honest had me wanting Asian food after a few sips. Overall, I found the Jamaican Mule to certainly be delicious and spicy and different, but I don’t see myself drinking it again. I think I still prefer the more traditional tiki cocktails made with a bit less ginger.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.
Jamaican Mule
The Jamaican Mule is a modern cocktail that was created by Jelani Johnson at the Clover Club in New York City, New York. It’s considered a tiki take on the vodka-based classic Moscow Mule that swaps out the base spirit for rum, substitutes a house-made ginger syrup in place of ginger beer, and adds pineapple and bitters to complement the other flavors.
Ingredients
Method
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Add rum, ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a highball glass or tiki glass over fresh cracked ice.
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Garnish with candied ginger, lime wheel, and orchid blossom.
FAQs
How do I make this cocktail recipe non-alcoholic?
Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit in place of the white rum and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a mocktail version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
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More Tiki Cocktails
If you like this tiki-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Tia Mia: A mezcal and rum cocktail made with lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, a lime wheel, a mint sprig, and an orchid blossom
Nui Nui: A rum cocktail made with orange juice, lime juice, cinnamon syrup, vanilla syrup, St. Elizabeth’s allspice dram, Angostura aromatic bitters, an orange twist, and a cinnamon stick
Caribe Daiquiri: A rum cocktail made with pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and a lime slice
Junior Colada: A pineapple rum cocktail made with coconut liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, coconut soda, and pineapple fronds
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