Bourbon's caramel-and-oak warmth plays against spicy ginger beer and a squeeze of fresh lime, the whiskey giving a bright, fizzy long drink a richer, rounder backbone. Built over ice in a chilled copper mug, it drinks cold and effervescent, the lime keeping it sharp while the ginger's bite lifts the bourbon's sweetness.
Garnish: Lime Wheel
Built · Copper Mug · On the Rocks
build
Fill a copper mug (or rocks glass) with ice cubes.
add
Add the bourbon and fresh lime juice over the ice.
top
Top with chilled ginger beer.
stir
Gently stir to combine.
garnish
Garnish with a lime wheel.
No single bartender or bar is credited with the Kentucky Mule; it emerged as a generic swap on the Moscow Mule, trading vodka for bourbon while holding on to the ginger beer and lime. That parent drink dates to 1941 at the Chatham Hotel in Manhattan, where it is credited to the trio of Jack Morgan, John G. Martin and Rudolph Kunett. The bourbon version caught on as the spirit enjoyed its 21st-century revival, giving it a tall, thirst-quenching showcase.