Spicy Jalapeno Mule Mocktail
This sweet, spicy, and citrusy mocktail is a great non-alcoholic option for Cinco de Mayo (or just an average week night!)
Ingredients
- 1-2 slices jalapeno (with seeds)
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 ounces ginger beer
Instructions
- Muddle the jalapeno slice(s) with the lime juice in a Moscow Mule mug.
- Fill the mule mug with ice and top with chilled ginger beer.
- Garnish with a jalapeno slice and a lime slice, if desired.
Notes
Optional Flavor Add-ins to Upgrade Your Mule Mocktail:
Try muddling a couple of slices of fresh fruit like mango with your jalapeno and lime juice for a perfect sweet and spicy flavor pair. Try pineapple for an even more tropical vibe.
To muddle in the glass or in a shaker?
Whenever you muddle something like fruit directly into your drink, you can end up with some nasty little clumps of fruit floating around and clogging your straw. To avoid this, you have two options:
You can muddle in a cocktail shaker, shake the ingredients with ice, and then strain over fresh ice into your mule mug, or you can simply add a layer of crushed ice on top of the muddled ingredients, and then top that with regular cubed ice. The crushed ice layer helps to keep those pesky muddled bits at the bottom of the glass while you enjoy a chunk-free cocktail.
I choose not to shake my muddled ingredients most of the time when making mocktails because there usually isn’t enough liquid volume to make straining very easy/efficient. You can choose to add an ounce or so of water to the shaker before adding ice, but this will add extra dilution to your final drink. There’s really no right or wrong though, so choose the option that you like best!
Add a splash (about ½ ounce) of a complimentary fruit flavored cocktail syrup like raspberry syrup, coconut syrup, or peach syrup. These are not difficult to make at home, and take your mocktails to the next level! Read all about DIY cocktail/mocktail syrups in my handy Ultimate Guide to Cocktail Syrups.
Don’t forget those aromatic garnishes! Freshly cut citrus or a petite bouquet of mint will brighten the flavors of your drink and tie all of those sweet, tart, and spicy flavors together.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!