The Gin gin mule recipe
for your table
Put the mint and sugar syrup in the shaker and lightly bruise the leaves with a muddler, using a few short twists and no longer.
Add the gin and fresh lime juice, fill the shaker with ice and shake until the outside frosts over.
Strain the contents into a tall glass filled with fresh ice cubes.
Top up with ginger beer and garnish with a sprig of mint and a thin slice of ginger.
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The story
The gin gin mule comes from New York cocktail bars, where bartenders around the turn of the century began revisiting the classics and creating new drinks that immediately felt like classics. This is one of them: the structure of a mojito, but with gin instead of rum and ginger beer instead of soda water. In the years after 2000, it became a fixture on cocktail menus and by now it is simply listed among the classics in many bars. We will leave out who poured it first and in what year, because the stories differ.
The right glass
A gin gin mule is shaken and then poured over fresh ice, so you need a tall glass with room for the drink, the ginger beer and a generous amount of ice cubes. Allow at least thirty-five centilitres. A straight model keeps the bunch of mint upright and gives your nose room, because you smell a large part of this cocktail. A sturdy, heavy base is pleasant if you often lift the glass. If you also pour gin and tonics into the same glass, take a look at our gin and tonic glasses.
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Chef & Sommelier Lima Long Drink Glass 40 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 39,90.
The right tools
For a gin gin mule, in addition to the glass, you use a muddler to gently bruise the mint, a cocktail shaker with a strainer and a jigger to measure the centilitres precisely. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 63,80.
Variations & twists
Muddle a thin slice of ginger with the mint and the drink gets much more bite, even if you then use the same ginger beer as usual. Leave out the ginger beer and top up with soda water, and you get the south side; swap the gin for white rum and you're back to the mojito. Use basil instead of mint and it moves toward the gin basil smash. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Shake with ice and then pour over fresh cubes, because the ice from the shaker is already compromised and melts much faster in your glass. Roll the mint sprig between your hands before placing it in the glass; this releases the aroma without tearing the leaves. A thin slice of ginger on the rim immediately shows where the bite comes from.
Good to know
Bruise, don't grind
Mint releases its aroma from the oil in the leaves, and that oil is released with just light pressure. A few short twists with the muddler are enough; you want to press the leaves flat, not turn them into mush. If you grind them finely, the veins tear, bitter compounds are released, and green flecks end up floating in your glass - and may even make it through the strainer. So add the mint to the sugar syrup rather than the acid, giving you something soft to press it against.
Why mint and ginger don't get in each other's way
Mint is cool and volatile: you mainly smell it and only taste it afterward. Ginger is the opposite - warm and sharp on the tongue, with a tingle that lingers for a few seconds. Because they come through in different places, they don't compete for the same space but complement each other: first the cool aroma, then the warm bite. The juniper and botanicals in the gin sit right in between, making the transition smooth. That's exactly why this combination works better than you might expect on paper.
Muddling ginger for more bite
Want it sharper? Muddle one or two thin slices of fresh ginger with the mint. Don't peel them, slice them thinly across the grain, and press them flat together with the mint before adding the gin. The difference is significant: you get the bold, fresh side of raw ginger, which is somewhat mellowed in ginger beer. Then simply shake everything together and strain it all out. Go easy on the amount, because raw ginger quickly takes over.
Shaken with ice, poured over fresh ice
The ice in your shaker does two things at once while shaking: it chills the drink and adds a little water. That water is part of the process, binding the gin to the acidity and sugar. But after shaking, the cubes are damaged on the outside and full of cracks, so they melt much faster in your glass. Therefore, always strain into a glass with fresh, hard cubes, and only then add the ginger beer. This keeps the drink at the right strength for longer.
Ginger beer or ginger ale
Ginger beer is made with plenty of ginger and is often fermented: full-bodied, cloudy, and spicy. Ginger ale is a soft drink with a ginger flavor, lighter and sweeter. A gin gin mule needs that spicy character; otherwise, the ginger disappears behind the sugar syrup and mint. If the drink turns out too sharp, use a little less sugar syrup instead of a milder bottle; that way you keep the bite and only lose some sweetness.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a gin gin mule?
A gin gin mule consists of 5 cl gin, 2 cl fresh lime juice, 2 cl sugar syrup, and a handful of mint, briefly shaken with ice and strained into a tall glass with fresh cubes, then topped up with 6 cl ginger beer. Finish with a sprig of mint and a thin slice of ginger.
What is the difference between a gin gin mule and a mojito?
A mojito is made with white rum and topped up with soda water; a gin gin mule is made with gin and topped up with ginger beer. The mint, lime juice, and sugar syrup are the same in both, so the structure feels familiar while the flavor is much bolder.
Should I muddle the mint finely?
No. A few short turns with the muddler are enough to release the oil from the leaves. If you grind the mint finely, bitter compounds come out of the veins and you end up with green flecks in your glass.
Which glass do you serve a gin gin mule in?
In a tall glass of at least 35 cl, so there is enough room for the drink and ginger beer as well as plenty of ice, while the bunch of mint can remain upright. View the models in our highball glasses.
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