Spicy Vodka Mule with Jalapeño Recipe

This is a vodka mule with the volume turned up: fresh jalapeño muddled into honey syrup, shaken with vodka and lime, then lengthened with ginger beer. The chile heat and the ginger heat sit in different places on the palate, so the drink reads as layered rather than just hot. Best for anyone who finds the standard Moscow Mule a little polite.

Spicy Vodka Mule with Jalapeño

Prep10 min

Total time10 min

Servings1 cocktail

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

2 oz (60 ml) vodka
0.75 oz (22 ml) fresh lime juice
0.5 oz (15 ml) honey syrup, from 2 tbsp honey stirred into 1 tbsp warm water (makes about 1.5 oz, enough for 3 drinks)
3 thin slices fresh jalapeño, seeds removed
3 oz (90 ml) ginger beer, chilled
Ice cubes, for shaking and serving
1 jalapeño slice and 1 lime wheel, to garnish

Instructions

Stir 2 tbsp honey into 1 tbsp warm water until it runs freely, and let the syrup cool. That makes about 1.5 oz, enough for three drinks.
Put the jalapeño slices and the honey syrup in a shaker and press them gently 4 or 5 times with a muddler, just enough to bruise the chile.
Add the vodka, lime juice, and ice, and shake hard for 12 seconds.
Fill a copper mug or highball glass with fresh ice.
Double strain the shaken mixture into the mug through a fine sieve, so no chile seeds or pulp get through.
Top with chilled ginger beer and stir once.
Taste, and add a splash more ginger beer if the heat is sharper than you want.
Garnish with a jalapeño slice and a lime wheel.

Contains 2 oz of 40% spirit, roughly 1.3 US standard drinks. If you build it in a copper mug, check that the mug is lined with stainless steel or nickel on the inside. Bare copper reacts with acidic drinks, and health authorities advise against unlined copper in contact with anything below about pH 6, which a lime cocktail certainly is. Wash your hands after handling the jalapeño and keep your fingers away from your eyes.

Tips

The seeds and the pale inner ribs hold most of the heat. Leave them in for a fierce drink, take them out for warmth that builds slowly.
Do not over-muddle. Four or five presses extracts plenty; pulverizing the chile pushes bitter green flavor into the drink.
Honey syrup rather than plain honey. Cold honey seizes into a lump at the bottom of the shaker and never integrates.
Chiles vary hugely from one to the next. Touch a cut slice to your tongue before you build the drink and use two slices instead of three if it stings immediately.

FAQ

What usually goes wrong?

Skipping the double strain. Loose seeds float to the top, and whoever gets one takes an unpleasant mouthful of raw heat at the end of the drink.

How do I store it?

Serve at once. You can keep the honey syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, but do not pre-infuse the syrup with chile for more than an hour or the heat becomes overwhelming.

Why do my times differ?

Ovens differ. Use the times as a guide and judge by how it looks and feels.