Kentucky Mule

Lined ones are. Bare copper reacts with anything acidic, and lime juice sits well below the pH where that becomes a concern, so health authorities have warned against unlined interiors. Almost every mug sold now has a stainless or nickel lining. Look inside: if it is silver, you are fine.

Standard 40 percent bourbon gets buried under 90 ml of ginger beer. A bottled-in-bond at 50 percent, or anything in the 45 to 55 range, keeps the whiskey audible without needing a larger pour. High-rye bourbons work particularly well because the pepper meets the ginger halfway.

Read the ingredients and taste it on its own first. The ones worth using list ginger high up and burn slightly at the back of the throat straight from the bottle. Anything that tastes purely pleasant will vanish under bourbon. Cloudy is usually a good sign.

Only if you treat it properly. Slap it once between your palms to wake the oils, then plant it beside the straw so it sits under your nose. Mint dropped in as decoration contributes nothing. The lime wedge is more useful squeezed than perched on the rim.

A classic Kentucky Mule calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Bourbon, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lime juice, 90 ml (3 oz) Ginger beer. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Kentucky Mule is roughly 14% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

A Kentucky Mule is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.