A Nerd Cooks

... and bakes and mixes the occasional cocktail!

Beverages

Mexican Moscow Mule

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This Mexican Moscow Mule is a fun variation on the traditional Moscow Mule. All you have to do is swap in tequila for the usual vodka and you’re in business!

Mexican Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

It’s not really a secret at this point that I’m pretty enamored with Moscow Mule cocktails. Seriously, just search this blog. You’ll find more than a handful of really delicious variations on the classic vodka + lime juice + ginger beer cocktail.

Mexican Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Last weekend, when in need of an adult beverage, I took stock of my pantry.

Ginger beer? Check. Limes? Check.

I was well on my way to enjoying a refreshing Moscow Mule. When it came time to select the liquor for this drink, I got to thinking… why not tequila instead of vodka?

We all know that tequila and lime play very well together (hello, margaritas). But tequila and ginger beer? Only one way to find out!

Mexican Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

And you know what? As it turns out, they’re great together!

These Mexican Moscow Mules are super refreshing, making them perfect for the upcoming warmer weather. If Winter ever ends, that is ;). They’d also be great alongside any Mexican food that you love to eat.

Mexican Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Interested in more Moscow Mule recipes? Check out these Moscow Mule variations: Bourbon Moscow Mules, Cranberry Vanilla, Caramel Apple, Pomegranate Champagne, Old Kentucky Mules (bourbon + apple cider), and original Moscow Mules (with a slight twist)!

5 from 1 vote
Mexican Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Mexican Moscow Mule
Prep Time
2 mins
Total Time
2 mins
 
Course: Beverage, Cocktail
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cocktail
Author: laurenpacek
Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz tequila
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • ginger beer, to fill glass
  • lime wedge, for garnish
Instructions

  1. Pour the bourbon into a copper mug filled with ice

  2. Squeeze the half lime into the mug

  3. Top with ginger beer

Recipe Notes

Note: I like reposado or añejo tequilas, but use whatever you like!

Mexican Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Bourbon Moscow Mules

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Bourbon Moscow Mules combine bourbon, lime juice, and ginger beer to make one seriously delicious cocktail.

Bourbon Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

At this point, it’s probably not a secret that I love bourbon. Check out my Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub and Bourbon Chocolate Sauce for just a couple of examples. I also love a good Moscow Mule. This version brings my two loves together.

Bourbon Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Start with a classic Moscow Mule. Pivot slightly by subbing bourbon for vodka. And there we have it: a Bourbon Moscow Mule.

Bourbon Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Bourbon Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Bourbon Moscow Mules
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 
Course: Beverage, Cocktail
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cocktail
Author: laurenpacek
Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • ginger beer
  • lime wedge for garnish (optional)
Instructions

  1. Pour the bourbon, lime juice, and ginger beer over ice (in a copper mug, please). 

Looking for more Mules? I’ve got you covered. Check out these Cranberry Vanilla Moscow Mules, original (with a slight twist) Moscow Mules, Caramel Apple Moscow Mules, Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules, and of course, the Old Kentucky Mule.

Bourbon Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Bourbon Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules

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Ring in the New Year with some sweet and bubbly Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules!

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Yes, I’ve been super absent these last few months. Sorry, friends. As it does so often, life has gotten in the way of blogging. Fortunately, it’s been for very positive reasons.

At the risk of sounding like Taylor Swift (sorry, guys), 2017 has been a pretty great year. Yes, I know that most of the year has been trash, and that the world is a dumpster fire… but things have been good from a personal standpoint.

In addition to us having our health, jobs, family, friends, and all of that standard (but super important!) good stuff, there have been other important developments. My career development award was funded in August, I was promoted to Assistant Professor in October, and we bought our first house later that same month. All in all, life is treating us very well. Stay tuned for photos of our incredible new kitchen!

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Though things have been crazy and busy, I wanted to close out things out with a delicious and bubbly cocktail that is perfect for ringing in the new year. Pomegranate juice provides color and sweetness (plus antioxidants!), ginger beer and lime lend a bit of bite, and champagne makes things extra bubbly. You won’t regret toasting the new year with this pretty cocktail.

Looking for more riffs on the Moscow Mule? Check out the Old Kentucky Mule, Caramel Apple Moscow Mule, Cranberry Vanilla Moscow Mule, and a slight variation on the original Moscow Mule.

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 
Course: Beverage, Cocktail
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cocktail
Author: laurenpacek
Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz plain vodka
  • 2 oz pomegranate juice
  • 2 oz champagne/sparkling wine
  • 3 oz ginger beer
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • pomegranate arils and lime wedge, for garnish (optional)
Instructions

  1. Pour vodka, pomegranate juice, bubbly, ginger beer, and lime juice over ice and stir to combine. 

  2. Garnish with pomegranate arils and a lime wedge if you’re feeling fancy.

Recipe Notes

Note: If you’d like a sweeter cocktail, you can decrease the amount of ginger beer and increase the amount of pomegranate juice.

I hope you all have a safe and very happy new year’s celebration. See you in 2018!

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule | A Nerd Cooks

Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules | A Nerd Cooks

 

Kalimotxo Cocktail

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Red table wine + cane sugar cola + a squeeze of lime juice = a refreshing, super easy cocktail.

This post contains affiliate links.

Kalimotxo Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

I was flipping through a couple of cookbooks earlier this month and came across this recipe again. It’s the Kalimotxo cocktail. The Internet tells me that the Kalimotxo is popular in the Basque region of Spain. So, there you go. There’s that.

AND! A Kalimotxo is composed of… wait for it… red wine and soda! I know that this combination may sound strange, but trust me!

Kalimotxo Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

I’m telling you, this drink is like sangria, but perfect for lazy people. Two ingredients (three if you count the lime juice) poured in a glass over ice and you’re done.

Because the ingredient list is so short, you really want to make sure that you’re using the correct ingredients. For the wine, you don’t need to use anything fancy. A cheap to moderately priced red table wine (I used a Rioja) will suffice. But for the soda, make sure you grab something that is made with cane sugar and not high fructose corn syrup. Have you ever had the Coke that’s made in Mexico (affectionately called MexiCoke)? It tastes SO much better than the stuff that’s made in the U.S. I’d go for that. It’s pretty widely available in regular grocery stores.

Kalimotxo Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

This recipe comes from the cookbook Over Easy: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Leisurely Days, by Joy Wilson (aka Joy the Baker).

You’ll need:

  • Red table wine (I used an inexpensive Rioja)
  • Cane sugar soda (I used MexiCoke)
  • lime wedges, for juice and garnish
Kalimotxo Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

Over ice, fill a glass half full with wine. Top with soda and squeeze a lime wedge. Garnish with another lime wedge if desired. Sip and enjoy!

 

The Palace Cafe Cocktail

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This cocktail is fresh, herbaceous, and very refreshing.

This post contains affiliate links.

The Palace Cafe Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

I declare this my official summertime cocktail.

This recipe makes good use of the Rosemary Infused Vodka and Homemade Sour Mix that I shared with you over the past couple of weeks.

They’re fizzy, sweet, and perfumed with herby rosemary flavor. They are also slightly dangerous in that they go down very easily.

The Palace Cafe Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

This cocktail is inspired by one that I enjoyed at The Palace Cafe in New Orleans. The food was delicious there, too.

You’ll need (makes 1 cocktail):

Add ice, vodka, Domaine de Canton, and sour mix to a cocktail shaker. Shake until very cold. Strain into a glass with ice. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Sip!

The Palace Cafe Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

Homemade Sour Mix

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Homemade Sour Mix is so easy to make, and is so much better than the neon green store bought stuff.

Homemade Sour Mix | A Nerd Cooks

Just like it says above: super easy to make and waay better than the store bought stuff. Stash it in the fridge and break it out whenever you feel like whipping up a cocktail.

You’ll need (makes ~3 cups):

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 3/4 cups lime juice, freshly squeezed

The first thing you’re going to do is make a simple syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water.  Stirring occasionally, heat the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, pour the simple syrup into the container in which you’ll be storing the sour mix.

Add the lemon and lime juices to the simple syrup. Give everything a shake until well combined. Seal the container and store the sour mix in the fridge.

Stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing a cocktail next week that uses this sour mix AND the Rosemary Infused Vodka that I shared recently.

Homemade Sour Mix | A Nerd Cooks

Rosemary Infused Vodka

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This infused vodka is full of herbaceous flavor, embarrassingly easy to make, and makes the perfect addition to cocktails. 

This post contains affiliate links

Rosemary Infused Vodka | A Nerd Cooks

Before (above) and after (below).

This infused vodka is so easy to make. It only requires a little forethought and patience (~5 days). It’s really fragrant and flavorful, and makes a great addition to cocktails.

Rosemary Infused Vodka | A Nerd Cooks

You’ll need:

  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3.5 cups plain vodka

Place the sprigs of rosemary into a jar (or other container that can be sealed). I used a quart Ball jar. Top with vodka. Seal the container and wait 5 days. You’ll see the vodka go from colorless to a clear gold/green.

And there you have it. You’ve just made Rosemary Infused Vodka! You can remove the rosemary from the container, or not. The flavor will continue to intensify the longer it’s left in the vodka. You can store the vodka right in the container in which it was infused and stash it wherever you keep your booze. I keep mine on top of our bar.

Stay tuned for a recipe for Homemade Sour Mix + a cocktail to make using it AND this vodka!

Rosemary Infused Vodka | A Nerd Cooks

Orange Creamsicle Crush

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These cocktails are super refreshing and taste just like a creamsicle.

This post contains affiliate links.

Orange Creamsicle Crush Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

The weather is warming up again, and that invariably puts me in the mood for a Crush. They’re refreshing, lightly sweet, and can be made in a variety of flavors. For example, I’ve shared Grapefruit Crushes with you before.

Thanks to the combination of fresh orange juice, triple sec, and whipped cream vodka, these Crushes taste just like an orange creamsicle.

Orange Creamsicle Crush Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

You’ll need (makes 1 cocktail):

  • 1.5 oz whipped cream vodka
  • .5 oz triple sec
  • 2 oz. orange juice (freshly squeezed, please!)
  • lemon-lime soda or citrus flavored sparkling water (Orange La Croix is my go-to)

Add the whipped cream vodka, triple sec, orange juice, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 10 seconds or so, or until very cold. Strain into a tall glass with ice. Top with lemon lime soda or sparkling water. Garnish with an orange slice if you’re feeling fancy.

Looking for more warm weather cocktails? Check these out, too:

Orange Creamsicle Crush Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

Orange Creamsicle Crush Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

Pear Dark and Stormy

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Products were provided to me free of charge by Drizly. As always, all opinions are my own.

Pear Dark and Stormy | A Nerd Cooks

This drank is brought to you in partnership with the good folks over at Drizly.  We’ve talked about them before in a couple of posts: take a look at these Caramel Apple Moscow Mules and Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub Cocktails for more information and alcoholic deliciousness.

Pear Dark and Stormy | A Nerd Cooks

We’re taking a classic Dark and Stormy (dark rum + ginger beer + lime) and adding a fall twist with some subtly sweet pear juice.

We’ve really been tapping into some classic Fall flavors with our cocktails lately.  In addition to pear, we’ve used caramel and apple and pumpkin and cinnamon.  Do yourself a favor by taking advantage of the season and trying them out.

Pear Dark and Stormy | A Nerd Cooks

You’ll need (makes 1 cocktail):

Fill a tall glass with ice.  Add the dark rum and top with pear juice, ginger beer, and fresh lime juice.  Give it a gentle stir and add the thin slices of lime.

Pear Dark and Stormy | A Nerd Cooks

Pear Dark and Stormy Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks

Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub Cocktail

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Products were provided to me free of charge by Drizly. As always, all opinions are my own.

Pumpkin Bourbon Shrub | A Nerd CooksWe talked about Drizly in this post about Caramel Apple Moscow Mules.  Drizly is a company that makes buying booze super easy. Just head to their website, order online, and they’ll deliver it to you in about an hour!

In case you missed those mules, do yourself a favor and go check them out.  I’ll wait.

Pumpkin Bourbon Shrub | A Nerd CooksAlright now that you’re back, let’s talk about this Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub.

A shrub is basically fruit, sugar, and vinegar. Way back when, shrubs were used to preserve fruit after the harvest was over.  In this case, our fruit of choice is pumpkin (puree), and rather than preservation of produce, we’re using this shrub as a vessel for bourbon.Pumpkin Bourbon Shrub | A Nerd Cooks

The shrub itself is sweet and sour, and full of pumpkin spice flavor.  The ginger beer brings some effervescence and a little spice.  If you’re into sour flavors, like me, this cocktail is for you.  It’s not too sour, though, thanks to the maple syrup and bourbon.

Pumpkin Bourbon Shrub | A Nerd Cooks

The shrub recipe comes from Swooned Magazine.  The rest of the cocktail comes from my foodbrain.

You’ll need:

For the shrub – 

  • 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

Add all ingredients to a glass container (I used a mason jar), seal, and shake to combine. Put the jar into the fridge for 24 hours.  After 24 hours, shake to recombine and strain the solids through a sieve (it’s okay if some of the puree makes its way through). The shrub will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

For the cocktail (makes 1 cocktail) –

Add bourbon, pumpkin shrub, and maple syrup to a rocks glass.  Stir to combine (I like to use a smallcocktail whisk).  Add ice and top with ginger beer.

Pumpkin Bourbon Shrub | A Nerd CooksPumpkin Bourbon Shrub | A Nerd Cooks

Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub Cocktail | A Nerd Cooks