An Irish Mule is one of our favorite cocktails on this list — we love how easy they are to mix up at home and serve as well.
While you can certainly drink them all day long, nothing beats having these delicious drinks when the sun goes down.
In fact, we consider the Irish Mule so good that we’ve featured several over the years.
The key ingredient in any Irish Mule recipe is Irish whiskey — but what kind should you use? We recommend Jameson or Powers, both of which provide a smooth taste profile without being overly sweet.
If you’re not sure about your options, try out different brands until you find the right one for you!
While the classic way to enjoy an Irish Mule involves mixing three parts whiskey and two parts ginger beer (or soda water), we also like to add some fresh mint leaves before serving.
Mint complements the sweetness from the ginger beer perfectly while adding another layer of flavor.
The result is a very tasty and refreshing drink.
In addition to Irish whiskey, other popular ingredients include lime juice, sugar, and even bitters.
So many great options to choose from!
To get started, read through below to learn more about what’s involved in making an authentic-tasting Irish Mule at home.
What Ingredients Are Needed For An Irish Mule Recipe?
We’ll start by explaining what exactly makes up an Irish Mule.
An Irish Mule contains no actual rum, although some people may have heard the term “mulled wine” thrown around.
Instead, it’s just straight up Irish whiskey mixed with ginger ale, lime juice, and sometimes a bit of mint.
You could substitute soda water instead of ginger beer if you’d prefer.
Once you know what you need to buy, here’s everything else you’ll need to put together an Irish Mule that will knock everyone’s socks off:
2 ounces of Irish whiskey (Jameson or Powers)
1 ounce of ginger beer (Coca Cola works fine too)
3/4 cup of lime juice
1 tablespoon of simple syrup (sugar dissolved in hot water)
A few drops of Angostura Bitters (optional)
Fresh mint leaves (if using)
Ice cubes
To make an Irish Mule, fill a shaker halfway with ice.
Add the whiskey, ginger beer, and lime juice.
Then stir, shake, or blend vigorously for 30 seconds to combine.
Be careful not to burn yourself! Now strain into a chilled martini glass filled with crushed ice.
Top with a sprig of mint and a drizzle of the simple syrup.
Garnish with a wedge of lime and serve immediately.
You might be wondering why you don’t see any gin in an Irish Mule.
That’s because Irish Mules were originally created as a cure for hangovers back in the 1800s.
Since then, they’ve become one of the most popular alcoholic beverages across America.
As such, it didn’t really make sense to mix gin in since it would only further complicate things.
Plus, who wants to wake up feeling worse than they did going to bed? Gin doesn’t help matters either…
How Long Does It Take To Make An Irish Mule?
Making an Irish Mule takes less than 5 minutes to prepare once you have all of your ingredients ready.
It won’t take longer than 20 minutes to chill and garnish your drink, though.
This means that you can easily make one every weekend night.
Not bad, huh?
What Type Of Glass Is Best For Serving An Irish Mule?
When choosing a drinking vessel for your Irish Mule, it’s important to keep a couple of factors in mind.
For starters, you want something tall enough to hold a decent amount of liquid but short enough to prevent spills.
Also, avoid glasses with sharp edges since they can cause cuts on your fingers.
Glasses with small openings work better too since you’ll be able to sip slowly.
What Is The Difference Between An Irish Mule And A Moscow Mule?
Irish Mules contain Irish whiskey whereas Moscow Mules are made with vodka.
Both types of drinks share similar flavors, however, with each containing their own unique characteristics.
When it comes to the overall experience, Irish Mules tend to be slightly sweeter while Moscow Mules lean towards being saltier.
But ultimately, the main differences lie in the ingredients themselves.
One major distinction between the two is that Irish Mules utilize Irish whiskey rather than vodka.
Although the latter has its place, we think that the former provides a smoother taste experience.
And if you’re looking for a non-vodka option, you definitely shouldn’t miss out on trying out a Dubliner.
What Type Of Alcohol Is Used In An Irish Mule?
It’s hard to go wrong with Irish whiskey in your beverage, especially since it’s pretty cheap compared to other spirits.
However, you do have a few choices depending on where you live.
Here’s what you should look for when buying booze:
Single Malt Whiskies: These come from single distilleries that focus solely on producing premium whiskeys.
They’re often aged for decades before bottling, meaning that they pack quite a punch.
Blended Whiskey: Blended whiskies are produced by blending multiple barrels of various ages, thus giving them a fuller flavor profile.
They typically cost a little cheaper than single malt whiskies and offer excellent value for money.
Ginger Beer: Ginger beer is a mixture of carbonated sparkling water and real ginger root.
There are a number of varieties available including ginger ales, ginger tonics, and ginger sours.
Vodka: Vodka is distilled grain spirit that’s clear in color.
Many vodkas are flavored with herbs, fruits, spices, and more.
Some are even infused with food coloring.
Rum: Rum is a spirit distilled from molasses, sugarcane, or other sugars.
Like vodka, rum can be blended or unblended.
Most rums are light in body and full of character.
Liqueurs: Liqueurs are a category of spirits that aren’t meant to be consumed alone.
They’re usually served alongside desserts or after dinner.
Popular liqueur brands include Chartreuse, Cointreau, Drambuie, Fernet Branca, Peychaud’s Bitters, Tuaca, and Van Gogh.
Tequila: Tequila is the Mexican equivalent of tequila.
Unlike the American variety, this product isn’t fermented from grapes but rather from blue agave plants.
Whiskey Sour: A whiskey sour combines equal parts whiskey and lemonade.
You can swap out the lemonade for ginger beer if you’re allergic to lemons.
Irish Cream: Irish cream is basically milk chocolate with a hint of vanilla.
It’s traditionally drunk neat or shaken with club soda.
Bourbon: Bourbon originated in Kentucky during the late 18th century.
Today it’s one of the country’s signature liquors.
Its flavor profile ranges from spicy to smoky.
Scotch: Scotch whisky is considered to be one of the world’s oldest forms of liquor.
It’s distilled from malted barley, wheat, rye, peat moss, or corn.
Wine: Wine is simply grape juice that gets fermented with yeast.
Different regions produce wines with distinct flavors, including dry white wines, red wines, rosé wines, and dessert wines.
So now that you know what to look for when purchasing alcohol, head on over to your local store to pick up what you need.
Once you have it in hand, check out our guide to setting up a bar area in your house to make it feel extra fancy.
What Type Of Ginger Beer Is Best For An Irish Mule?
If you’re unsure about what brand of ginger beer you should purchase, stick to Coca-Cola products.
They’re known for their reliability and high quality standards.
How Much Lime Juice Is Required For An Irish Mule?
For an average sized Irish Mule, we recommend 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice.
Of course, this depends on the size of your drink and whether you want to squeeze the juice yourself or opt for pre-squeezed packages.
Either way, remember to always follow proper safety protocols when working with citrus fruit.
Are there variations?
There are plenty of ways to customize your Irish Mule beyond just swapping out the whiskey for vodka or vice versa.
Try substituting bourbon for scotch or even experimenting with your favorite liqueurs.
Just be aware that anything added after the original recipe has been built upon will change the final outcome.
Want to learn more about cocktails?
Check out our article on how to master the art of shaking and stirring.
Or maybe you’re interested in learning how to pour properly.
Whatever your preference, we hope you enjoyed reading this post.
Until next time, cheers!
Equipment
- copper mug
Ingredients
- 2 ounces irish whiskey
- 6 ounces ginger beer or more!
- 1 ounce lime juice
- lime slices for garnish
- mint sprig for garnish
- ice
Instructions
- Fill a copper mug (or any other glass) halfway with ice.
- Pour in the whiskey and lime juice, followed by the ginger beer.
- To finish, garnish with lime slices and a mint sprig.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.