Mules are cocktails traditionally made with ginger beer or ginger ale, citrus juice, and any spirit. This mule is made with Clarksburg Cranberry Ginger Hard Cider instead, elevated by house-made cranberry ginger simple syrup. The fresh ginger and tart cranberry give the syrup a spicy burst of flavor.
Pro tip: don’t peel your ginger root until you’re ready to use it. Unpeeled ginger can be stored at room temperature. You can also keep it in the refrigerator, but make sure it’s in an airtight bag or container. Leftover peeled ginger should be wrapped up tightly to prevent oxidation. You can also freeze unused ginger. If the ginger is wrinkly, mushy, moldy, or smells off—it’s probably gone bad.
To make the cranberry ginger simple syrup: In a medium saucepan, stir together 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries and one, two-inch piece of peeled ginger, thinly sliced. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the sugar is dissolved. You may want to keep a lid on hand because the cranberries will pop! Remove your mixture from the heat, cover, and let it steep for 15 minutes. Strain and let cool completely.
After you’ve made your simple syrup (bravo!), it’s smooth sailing from here. Fill a mule mug with ice. Add 1 ½ oz. vodka (we suggest buying local) and 1 oz. of the simple syrup. Add a squeeze or two of lime to taste, then fill the rest up with Clarksburg Cranberry Ginger Hard Cider. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge and sugared or plain cranberries.
P.S. Sugared cranberries can also be used to top festive food during the holidays and are easy to make. Soak clean, fresh cranberries in some of your simple syrup for 15 minutes. Let them dry and roll in granulated sugar.
