Dominican Mule drink with sorrel

Dominican mule drink with sorrel

When I think about Christmas in Dominica, I think of special drinks like sorrel, ginger beer, egg nog ginger wine, port wine like Ruby Rich, Ponche Cuba, rum, different punches, and other hard and soft beverages. Growing up, I remember my parents would make sure that we’d have a very stock bar with cases of beer, soft drinks like Coke, Fanta, and Juicy, so when guests stopped by, we’d have drinks to share with them. My mom also made coconut, peanut, and rum punches and one of her favorites plantain wine. She’d allow the wine to ferment for no less than 21 days, and it would taste so delicious, just like a fine Japanes sake. Those were some wonderful memories!

I’m currently in the US and have been exposed to quite a few other drinks, including cocktails during the holiday season. I’ve also hosted many parties when I lived in New York and often ensured that I had the help of a bartender/mixologist who’d assist in creating signature drinks. Marrying the drinks that I enjoy from my time in Dominica with current favorites is always an adventure for me. This adventure has led me to my very own Dominican Mule. Move over Moscow Mule, there’s a new mule in town, and it’s called the Dominica Mule.

The famous “Moscow Mule” was created in 1941 by a Los Angeles tavern owner Jack Martin, looking to make his large amount of vodka more appetizing to Americans. Within a few years, the “Mule” had spread nationally and internationally as well, and even to Russia, where it was affectionately adopted as the Moscow Mule.

The Dominican version of the Moscow Mule that I pioneered uses many of the essential ingredients and should be presented (when possible) in the traditional copper cup made famous by Martin. This copper cup is what truly defines the Mule. The difference is that the Dominican version includes sorrel boiled with lots of ginger and rum, where the original Moscow mule is anchored by vodka. It’s also garnished with cinnamon sticks, lime wedge, and a hint of mint sprig.

Here’s how I made my Dominican Mule drink with sorrel.

Dominican Mule drink with sorrel

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Prep Time 1 day d

Course Drinks

Cuisine Caribbean, Dominican

Servings 1

Equipment

• copper cup

Ingredients

  

• 2½ oz Your favorite Dominican rum If you don't have Dominican rum, you can use any other Caribbean rum—spice rum is even better.
• 3 oz sorrel drink with a high concentration of ginger The sorrel drink should also contain cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
• ½ oz lime juice
• ½ oz Sugar cane syrup This is often known as simple syrup. You can also use honey

Garnish

• 1 sprig mint
• 1 slice lime
• 1 candied sorrel flower
• 1 Stick of cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Make you sorrel drink ahead of time by boiling water with crushed ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves and grated nutmeg. Add your sorrel flower—dry or fresh to the mixture and let it sit for a few hours. Sweeten with your favorite sweetener.
• Add lime juice, sugar can syrup and rum to the copper cup and stir.
• Add crushed ice then top with sorrel
• Add garnishes
  
• Enjoy

Notes

Since you’r making this for a cocktail with ice, you may want to make sure that the sugar level is just right for the sorrel when you compensate for the ice. Keep in mind, the simple syrup will make it a little sweeter.

The key is the ginger in the sorrel. Make sure that it’s extra spicy, just how we do it in Dominica, so that the singer will com through against the backdrop of the lime juice.

 

 

Keyword Dominican drinks, moscow mule, sorrel