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Cocktail History
The Little Donkey is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Emma Stokes and was first published in her book Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter. It’s essentially a Christmas cookie-flavored Moscow Mule that uses the classic’s template of vodka, lime, and ginger beer, but this version adds a decadent homemade gingerbread syrup that makes it truly unique.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. We used Smirnoff Vodka because it’s high quality and affordable. For a mocktail version of this drink, try STRYKK Not V*dka in place of the vodka.
Gingerbread Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger, baking spices, vanilla extract, honey, white sugar, brown 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.
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.
Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
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.
Tasting Notes
The Little Donkey starts with fragrant baking spice aromas followed by a spicy ginger-forward taste accented with a rich and heavy gingerbread sweetness that lingers on the palate all the way through the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: The Little Donkey is truly an incredible Moscow Mule! We thought it would be hard to unseat our Holiday Gin Mule’s top spot as our favorite Christmas mule, but this one might just take its crown, at least for Kendall.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is one drink you shouldn’t sleep on even if you have a more developed palate like mine. The recipe is simple, but the gingerbread and ginger beer work extremely well together, creating a simultaneously spicy and sweet mixture that just screams Christmas. While vodka hangs out in the back to add a spirituous kick without too much intrusion of flavor, the festive flavors mingle and create a drink that’s reminiscent of cookies by the fireside as a kid.”
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I didn’t grow up eating gingerbread cookies around the holidays, so my first introduction to this common blend of flavors was actually in cocktails a couple of years ago when we did our first Christmas cocktail tastings. For earlier recipes, Alex made an incredible gingerbread syrup using the sous vide method, and it’s become one of my favorite mixers to use in holiday cocktails. This is the first drink we’ve tried that puts it center stage, and boy, is it delicious. It’s going to be hard for me to choose between this one and our Holiday Gin Mule from now on because this one’s so good too!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter by Emma Stokes.
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 2024-09-19.
The Little Donkey
The Little Donkey is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Emma Stokes and was first published in her book Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter. It’s essentially a Christmas cookie-flavored Moscow Mule that uses the classic’s template of vodka, lime, and ginger beer, but this version adds a decadent homemade gingerbread syrup that makes it truly unique.
Ingredients
Method
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Add vodka, gingerbread syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
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Stir gently for 3-5 seconds.
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Garnish with cinnamon stick.
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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 2024-09-19.
More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Sugar Cookie Cocktail: A vanilla vodka cocktail made with amaretto, Irish cream liqueur, heavy cream, simple syrup, and sprinkles
Winter Berry Gin Fizz: A gin cocktail made with lime juice, cranberry syrup, raspberry liqueur, soda water, cranberries, and rosemary
Kohler Mint Cocoa: A chocolate mint brandy cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, an orange wedge, mint, and cranberries
