Moscow Mule + Dark & Stormy

In Cooking from Every Angle, we hear from our fearless leaders: Food52 co-founders Amanda & Merrill.

Today: Amanda shows off two classic cocktails at the intersection of ginger and lime.

Oh, ginger beer, how could we live without you and your snappy, sweet goodness? You are the foundation of two of the best cocktails known to man: the Moscow Mule and the Dark 'n Stormy. Essentially the same ginger beer and lime union, the Mule is made with vodka, natch, the Dark 'n Stormy with dark rum.

As rum drinkers, we prefer the latter, but both are ideal party drinks when made with a tame hand -- the ginger gives each drink huskiness and vitality, and the lime keeps it mannered. Let these two do the work and keep a light touch on the booze, otherwise you'll have stormy mules to contend with, and crying in the bathroom.

Want to see how to make the Moscow Mule? Look here:

Add one part vodka to a glass filled with ice. I've had Moscow Mules in collins glasses, tumblers, and plastic cups. It's an equal opportunity drink; use whatever's handy. Cubes or crushed ice are up to you.

To the vodka, add two parts ginger beer and finish with a squeeze of lime. I like to cut a flat slice off the side of the lime, which I admit is wasteful, but it squeezes just the right amount and doesn't fight you like a wedge is wont to do.

The Dark 'n Stormy is equally swift to master. Add your rum -- dark rum, dark spiced rum, both will work -- one part to the ginger beer's two.

And now there's one twist. When you pour in the ginger beer, do so super slowly, just a thread of beer at a time, so it seeps down beneath the rum raising the alcohol like a raft.

See the two layers? This what you're going for. Now drop in the lime, and be on your merry way.

And if you like Dark 'n Stormies as much as we do, you can also get it in lip balm form. We talked the nice folks over at Stewart & Claire into making a custom Dark 'n Stormy lip balm just for us. (Is anyone surprised Food52's signature flavor is booze?)

Moscow Mule

Serves as many as you like

• 1 part vodka
• 2 parts ginger beer
  
• Lime wedge

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Dark 'n Stormy

Serves as many as you like

• 1 part dark rum
• 2 parts ginger beer
• Lime wedge

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by James Ransom