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The Mexican Mule is a spin on the classic cocktail, the Moscow Mule. To understand the Mexican Mule we should understand its western variant and originator first.
The Moscow Mule is made from ginger beer, lime juice, and vodka, hence ‘Moscow’. The drink’s origins and inventors are widely debated, like many cocktails, but it seems it was the tipsy invention of one American or another.
Either way, the Moscow Mule was popularised with its copper mug by Jack Morgan who used it to sell Smirnoff in the US, and it worked a treat. You can buy one here.
What is important about the Moscow Mule is that it’s a type of drink known as a ‘buck’. Historically, a buck is a template for which to use alcohol in a drink.
A buck is always some combination of ginger beer and some citrus juice as a base mix to which another liquor is added.
The idea is that this base mix is versatile enough to work with any liquor and still taste great. This template was used to create the Moscow Mule, buck turns into mule, and resultantly created the Mexican Mule.
The Mexican Mule is also a buck drink, it combines ginger beer lime juice and Mexico’s favorite liquor, Tequila!
There are many variations on the classic Moscow Mule, or buck, recipe such as the Kentucky Mule, the Irish Mule, the London Mule, and many more of which you can guess the liquor based on the area which the cocktail is named after.
In any case, let’s explore some of the best Mexican Mule recipes together!
This is your classic recipe: ginger beer, sugar, lime juice, tequila. What more could you want?
The Mexican Mule is a real summer treat, we often think of it as a cowboy Margarita. The tequila adds more taste than you think, while the classic vodka can be a little blander.
This version is a little more accurately what you might be served if you ask for this in a bar. In other words, it’s a fancier take on a rather simple recipe.
This cocktail garnishes the cocktail with a dash of Angostura bitters which adds complexity to the simple buck, as well as a sprig of mint which just adds to the refreshing qualities of the cocktail.
This recipe uses a few ingredients that add some flavor and spectrum to the flavor of the simple cocktail. They choose to throw some orange liqueur in there which adds a lot of flavor and works so well with teh lime juice.
Moreover, they chose to garnish the cocktail with a jalapeno. This keeps the Mexican theme going but adds a lot of depth to the cocktail by bringing some spicy and herbal flavor.
For those who love the acidity and kick of citrus juices, this is a great one to try. Lime, lemon and orange juice are added to create a citrusy affair that will get the kick back in your life.
The acidity is perfectly balanced by the spiciness of the ginger beer which cuts through it with the added hint of carbonation.
This is a more modern spin on the classic that caters to the lighter drinkers by adding crushed ice which dilutes the cocktail and alcohol to a more drinkable mouthfeel for some.
In any case, this cocktail specifically uses fresh ginger as well as the ginger beer which adds a lot more spiciness. Fresh ginger is great for your stomach too which is helpful in this situation.
Pineapple juice is a flavor that is perfectly comfortable next to the powerful flavors of ginger and tequila.
The pineapple adds a lot of sweetness but also a pineyness that goes really well with the ginger beer too. Garnish with a pineapple slice for extra points.
This is similar to the previous recipe but makes the sweetness of the pineapple double by roasting or grilling the pineapple to bring out its natural sugars.
They also suggest using ginger ale in this recipe which is up for debate but can work well with the pineyness of the pineapple.
For those who like something a little sweeter, this buck could be the way to go. This involves muddling strawberry and mint in the mug before adding the buck mixture.
This adds a sweetness that isn’t too overpowering and is settled a lot by the mint.
This recipe makes the mule in batch form which is super helpful when hosting apathy.
But moreover, this cocktail is made to be frozen, while some cocktail geeks may shun the concept, it’s a really cool addition to any summer gathering and chills you out in more ways than one.
The Spicy Mexican Mule is for the drinker who needs a little extra kick in their cocktail – like the tequila wasn’t enough!
For those who dare, this recipe includes chilli powder and hot sauce as well as the ginger beer and garnishes with jalapeno.
All these spicey elements are balanced out with a salty kick that certainly helps the spiciness lay on the tongue. This one is worth trying if you are a Mexican Mule regular and want something different.
This is a play on the original Mexican Mule that uses mezcal instead of tequila. . Mezcal has a little more smokey flavor than your regular tequila which is really cool with the ginger in this cocktail.
The smokiness pairs well with the spicy cayenne pepper that is added in teh recipe and is surprisingly easy on the palette.
This combines the comparable tastes of both the moscow mule and the mexican mule with the added citrus kick of lemon juice.
If you love citrus, look no further. The smokiness of the mezcal with the kick of vodka and lemon juice is really something to behold and is worth trying if you are looking for variations to the original cocktail.
This is a very fancy take on the original Mexican Mule, but it’s worth including the fancier side of the cocktail.
Made with mezcal, this is already pretty grown up, the addition of agave nectar creates some very complex tasting notes that are really aided by the addition of the passion fruit purée that really adds some herbal sweetness to the smoky finish.
This is a good recipe for the drinker who isn’t so keen on ginger beer.
By swapping out the ginger beer for soda water you can add your own flavorings in place of the ginger. Or, add some fresh ginger to the water and get the spiciness without the sweet earthy flavor of ginger.
This interesting take on the classic Mexican mule uses tamarind syrup. The tamarind syrup definitely adds a certain tanginees and sharpness you wont get from any of the plant.
The addition is particularly good in accompaniment with the smoky mezcal flavors.
This is a rather complex and fancy recipe but it may just be the thing to turn you on to the mezcal mule.
If you like Earl Grey or at least the additions of tea into cocktails, then you will like this recipe. The earl grey syrup is in addition to orange juice and Angostura bitters makes for a very compelling flavor that is unique.
The tartness of the early grey marries well with the mezcal and is helped along by citrus and ginger notes to compliment.
The Final Word
There you have it! 20 variations on the classic mule or buck recipe.
At least one of these should be able to win over the skeptic and could turn many people onto the wonderful variation of tequila and mezcal and their versatility within a cocktail.
