Mezcal Mule

Some of it. Ginger sits in the same aromatic register as smoke, so the two blur rather than one erasing the other, and what survives reads more as roast than bonfire. If yours vanishes entirely, the ginger beer is probably the problem: a sweet, mild one buries mezcal in a way a hot dry one does not.

An espadín from a producer that names the village on the label, somewhere in the mid-forties for ABV, joven rather than rested in wood. Save wild-agave bottles for sipping neat; ginger beer will flatten anything subtle you paid extra for.

Mostly show, plus the pleasure of cold metal against your palm. It chills no faster than glass, and unlined copper reacts with lime juice over time. If you use one, check there's stainless steel inside. A tall glass packed with ice performs identically.

Pouring ginger beer from a height onto ice knocks the gas straight out. Fill the glass with ice, add the mezcal and lime, then tilt the glass and run the ginger beer down the side. One slow turn with a spoon, no more.

A classic Mezcal Mule calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Mezcal, 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 Mezcal Mule is roughly 13% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

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