his post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.
Cocktail History
The Holiday Gin Mule is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created for a sampling event at a local grocery store during the holidays. The recipe was made for La Crosse Distilling Company’s Christmas Gin, a limited edition spirit flavored with blackcurrant and released at Christmastime. The bitterness of the spirit is tempered with the sweetness of a homemade apple cinnamon syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Blackcurrant Gin: This is a spirit made with blackcurrant gin, juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used La Crosse Distilling Company Christmas Gin, but if you can’t find this specific gin, you can substitute another blackcurrant or cranberry-flavored gin. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin and Monin Non-Alcoholic Blackcurrant Syrup in place of the gin.
Apple Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with apple cider, cinnamon sticks, white sugar, 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.
Ginger Beer: This is a carbonated beverage made with ginger spice, yeast, and sugar. We used Q Mixers Ginger Beer because it has a delicious ginger flavor that is sweetened with agave syrup.
Rosemary Sprig: This is an evergreen herb.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. We used fresh cranberries.
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.
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. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-12.
Tasting Notes
The Holiday Gin Mule features savory aromas of the herb garnish, has a slightly spicy taste that features apple and cinnamon immediately then botanical gin soon after while held in the mouth, and finishes with a distinct blackcurrant flavor from the gin on the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We both loved this cocktail, but Kendall especially did and has already requested it again several times. This also led to us likely being one of the reasons the Christmas Gin sold out here in the Chippewa Valley so quickly; we’ve made sure to pick up a bottle every time we’ve seen one. Thankfully, it’s a little too bitter and sharp on the palate for any of our friends who don’t live and breathe gin like we do, but that does make it hard to recreate the magic of this recipe yourself. If you come across blackcurrant gin in your neck of the woods, pick up a bottle and give our mule a try.
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is it! This is my favorite Christmas cocktail of 2021. I have never been a big fan of Mules… Why? No idea, but this one is absolutely incredible thanks to La Crosse Distilling Company’s fabulous blackcurrant gin and Alex’s homemade apple cinnamon syrup. The flavors pair beautifully and aren’t too bitter even though the gin certainly is on the bitter side. I could talk about this cocktail all day, but I’ll leave it at you definitely need to try the Holiday Gin Mule right away.”
Recipe
Holiday Gin Mule
The Holiday Gin Mule is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created for a sampling event at a local grocery store during the holidays. The recipe was made for La Crosse Distilling Company’s Christmas Gin, a limited edition spirit flavored with blackcurrant and released at Christmastime. The bitterness of the spirit is tempered with the sweetness of a homemade apple cinnamon syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer.
Ingredients
Method
-
Add gin, apple cinnamon syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
-
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
-
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh crushed ice.
-
Top with ginger beer.
-
Garnish with rosemary sprig and cranberries.
