Fabulous Friday: Cocktail Hour

Raspberry Mule

Rachel, Dublin

I was very bold last week and hadn't done my homework of making my own rhubarb vodka in order to make Aoife's amazing looking Allotmenteer's Reward (I'm hoping I might get one on my next trip to Cambridge, hint hint).  I was seriously regretting my lack of preparedness for cocktail hour as reading Aoife's post and looking at the beautiful pictures gave me a fierce thirst for a pink drink of my own.  Something had to be done.  Fast.

Aoife's inclusion of fresh ginger in her cocktail inspired me to create something with ginger beer.  I was suddenly struck with flashbacks to schoolday house parties and the premixed Smirnoff Mules that I was a fan of at the time; thankfully my alcohol preferences have become somewhat more sophisticated since then!

I'd a tiny problem with this idea though, a traditional Moscow Mule of Vodka, Lime and Ginger Beer was not going to satisfy my craving for a pink drink.  Thankfully, Aoife made an inspired suggestion of shaking up some frozen raspberries with some vodka to make a super-quick infusion, I'm calling it my Lazy Woman's Raspberry Infused Vodka!

I made the infusion by adding approximately 20 frozen raspberries to about 300ml vodka, shook vigorously and left for about half an hour, shaking every 10 minutes or so.  I was amazed at how quickly the vodka took on both the colour and flavour of the berries.

Raspberry Mule (Makes one)

50ml Lazy Woman's Infused Vodka

200ml Ginger Beer

Half a lime

Large handful ice cubes

2 raspberries to garnish (optional)

Juice the half lime directly in to a tall glass, add the squeezed lime half to the glass for some additional lime flavour.  Measure your vodka and pour through a fine sieve to strain the raspberry seeds.  Add the ice cubes and top up with ginger beer.  Garnish with two raspberries on a cocktail stick and add a straw.  

I was delighted to find Bundaberg Ginger Beer in Fallon and Byrne.  I love the spicy flavour of this ginger beer and it brought back loads of great, sunny memories of my time bartending and waitressing in Brisbane.