Gin & Ginger Mule

I've never posted a drink recipe before. The main reason is because I'm a Two-Sip Sally, so I don't drink often. Also, I'm not the mixologist-wannabe in our household, that's C. I really want to open a bakery/brewery with him called "The Baker and The Brewmaster." Unfortunately, he wants to be a Distiller and that ruins the alliteration. Alas, we shan't be opening a bakery/brewhouse. I guess I'll keep doing science. Bummer.

Now, onto what seems like a very irrelevant story, but is not.

My first interaction with C was almost your stereotypical guy-meets-girl-at-a-party story. Girl walks into a Halloween party. Guy approaches her and says, "What are you supposed to be?" "Taylor Swift," she replies. "Doesn't she have long, curly, blonde hair?" he asks skeptically, noting her short, semi-wavy, brown hair. "Yes," she responds out-loud while thinking to herself "well, at least I'm not the one dressed as a cow." Guy asks if he can get Taylor Swift a drink. Girl declines, "No thanks." "Are you sure?" prods the cow. "Yes, I only drink alone." Guy starts having flashbacks to his medical school lectures on the signs and symptoms of alcohol dependency, and trying to understand, asks, "Excuse me?" "Trust me, I'm a lightweight. It's best if I only drink at home, alone," girl reassures guy, thinking that it's normal behavior. Guy thinks girl is a little weird. Girl thinks guy's a little cranky after he calls the party over and kicks everyone out.

Fast forward five months to a bachelor party in Denver, Colorado. Over a round of Moscow Mules, guy asks his good friend and groom-to-be if Taylor Swift will be at his wedding. Gears start turning in the groom's head. Girl hears about nothing but guy dressed as a cow at the Halloween party/best man for the month leading up to the wedding. Guy and girl are reintroduced before the wedding. Guy offers girl ice cream instead of a drink and they fall madly in love over a shared bowl of ice cream and a deck of microbiology flashcards.

And here's where this all becomes relevant: Guy still thinks girl is a little weird because of her drinking habits. Guy makes girl one of his favorite drinks with raspberries, mint, and bourbon. Girl takes two sips and is done. Girl is drunk and guy understands exactly why she has such strange drinking habits. Over the next year or two, girl takes sips of guy's drinks. Girl discovers she loves the Moscow Mules guy makes with homemade ginger syrup in place of ginger beer. Then girl learns she likes them even more with gin, hence the Gin & Ginger Mule.

This is C's creation and it's really, really delicious. So delicious in fact that I joined a "Drinking and Social Club" at the restaurant Down House (located in a dry part of town--thus patrons must join the club in order to drink) so that I could try their version with basil, cucumber, gin, vanilla syrup, lime and orange. Heck, we were there, so I figured, "Might As Well!" Our friend Doc Brown found it so out of character that she took a picture of me with my drinking club member card! Here's C's recipe:

Gin & Ginger mule

Juice 1 lime into a copper mug.
Add 2 oz. homemade ginger simple syrup,  

2 oz. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin,

3-4 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters, and

a splash of club soda.

Swirl to mix. Add ice cubes and serve cold.

Cheers!