The Gin Gin Mule is a refreshing highball comprised of gin, ginger beer, simple syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, and fresh mint. This early modern classic cocktail was created by Audrey Saunders, a protégé of “King Cocktail” Dale DeGroff, and owner of New York City’s influential cocktail bar, Pegu Club. 

In 2000, the cocktail first made its appearance on a menu at Manhattan restaurant Beacon, managed by Saunders at the time. This is also where she finessed the recipe, opting for a house-made ginger beer. The drink didn’t get wide acclaim, however, until it landed at Saunders’s Pegu Club in 2005, where it became a quick favorite of guests.

A gin enthusiast during a time when many drinkers were still afraid of the juniper-forward liquor, Saunders was known for gently introducing the spirit into crowd-pleasing drinks. 

At the onset of the mid-2000s cocktail revival, both the Moscow Mule and the Mojito were very popular. Merging these two beloved cocktails with a base spirit swap, made the Gin Gin Mule one of the early gateway gin cocktails embraced by vodka drinkers.

Why does the Gin Gin Mule work?

Mint, ginger, lime juice, gin — the ingredients for a Gin Gin Mule seem simple and commonplace flavor combinations now. However, at the time, this mashup was revelatory. 

In his 2022 book Modern Classic Cocktails, cocktail author Robert Simonson writes about Saunders’s light bulb moment when creating the Gin Gin Mule. 

“Dale [DeGroff] showed me his recipe for a classic Mojito with a dash or two of Angostura,” says Saunders. “Having a cocktail that had a fresh herb in it — who knew? Wow, that’s amazing. For me, the Mojito base, mint and lime, was really, really enjoyable. At that point, I dove headfirst into gin. So, sub out the rum and try the gin and see how that tastes.”

According to Saunders, homemade ginger beer is key to this drink’s success — less sweet than commercial versions and with more of a complex flavor profile and ginger spice. If using a store-bought ginger beer, the simple syrup can be reduced or omitted entirely, depending on preference. The freshly squeezed lime juice can also be tweaked to accommodate the sweetness level of the drink, and increased to a full ounce, if necessary.