Cocktail
Today in Cocktail History Class, we’re going to learn about a bar called Pegu Club. It opened in downtown New York City in 2005, when obsessing over perfectly-made cocktails was still a somewhat niche activity - and sadly, it recently closed. While you can’t stop by the second-floor Soho space and sip a whiskey punch anymore, you can make one of their signature cocktails.
This drink is called a Gin-Gin Mule. It’s a modern classic, one of the most universally-liked drinks we’ve ever encountered. Make one every Friday at exactly 5pm, and be sure to tell your grandchildren about Pegu Club.
The Gin-Gin Mule
You’ll Need:
Ice
Highball
2 ounces gin
.75 ounce lime juice
.75 ounce simple syrup
Several sprigs of mint
Ginger beer
Step One: Mint
Pick around 5 or 6 mint leaves off one of your sprigs, give them a smack to release their minty oils, and toss them in your shaker. No muddling necessary.
Step Two: Simple Syrup
Next, add .75 ounce simple syrup to your shaker. If you’ve never made simple syrup, we’re pleased to inform you that it’s laughably easy. Use equal parts warm water and white sugar, then stir until everything is dissolved.
Step Three: Lime Juice
Use fresh lime juice. We’re honoring Pegu Club here, and it’s the respectful thing to do. Pour .75 ounce in your shaker.
Step Four: Gin
It doesn’t matter which gin you use, as long you like it. We really just want you to be happy. And we also want you to add 2 ounces gin to your cocktail shaker.
Step Five: Shake
Now, add at least six standard-sized ice cubes to your shaker, and give everything a good 12-second shake. Once you’ve finished, pour everything into highball filled to the rim with ice.
Step Six: Ginger Beer
You might be thinking, “Hm, maybe I can just use ginger ale for this.” But no, you cannot. Ginger ale is to ginger beer what a house cat is to a wild leopard. So find something with a nice, spicy flavor, and use it to top off your Gin-Gin Mule.
Step Seven: Garnish
As for garnishes, we like to stuff a few mint leaves and lime wheels in the side of the glass, then stick a big, healthy mint sprig in the top. Overall, your cocktail should look exactly like the mirage you’d see after walking through a desert for several weeks.
Suggested Reading
Once you know how to make a gimlet, you can churn out a lot of other great cocktails using the same basic formula.
Whether you just want a good drink or you want to bartend like a professional, here’s the equipment we recommend.
You won’t find a better cocktail with fewer ingredients than the Martini.
Our in-house bartender (and Senior Staff Writer) is here to answer all your cocktail-related questions.