My husband put together the menu and did all the cooking for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. I’m usually in charge of the cocktails, but he found this recipe for a punch, a riff on the Moscow mule. The ingredients sounded wonderful and would allow us to create something non-alcoholic that our guests could ‘fuel’ if desired. However, no one felt the need to add anything to this, and our family loved this punch! Jesse Szewczyk created this in Bon Appetit magazine, and I’m passing it on to you for your upcoming holiday gathering.
Cranberry-Maple Mule
6-8 servings (We doubled this for a crowd of 10 and bottled the leftovers, which I took to later gatherings with friends in one of my vintage travel bars!)
- 3 3” cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise pods
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup, preferably dark
- 20 dashes of Angostura bitters. This makes the flavors sing, but if you prefer a zero-alcohol brand of bitters, try All the Bitters Aromatic
- 2 12-ounce cans of ginger beer
- 3-½ cups cranberry juice cocktail
- ¾ cup fresh lime juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
Make ahead: Spiced maple syrup can be made 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container. Bring cinnamon sticks, star anise, and maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until syrup darkens in color and large, thick bubbles form, about 6-8 minutes. Carefully and slowly add 1 cup water (it will steam quite a bit, so be sure to stand back). Return to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrup dissolves. Let mixture cool.
Pour spiced maple syrup (you can leave the spices) into a large pitcher or punch bowl. Add bitters, ginger beer, cranberry juice, lime juice, and salt and stir until combined. Add ice and garnish with lime slices, cranberries, and rosemary sprigs.
If you want to allow your guests the option of adding alcohol to their glass, vodka would be the appropriate choice to simulate a mule cocktail. Cheers to all!
THE HAPPY TRAVELER – VINTAGE TRAVEL BARS: The Artist & Curator, Kim Parsley, lives near Seattle, Washington.
With an education in Interior Design, her career path has led her to fulfill many roles in interior architecture. Now retired, she leverages her design skills towards the curation of vintage travel bars as well as collecting and selling vintage barware.
Kim is also a contributor to multiple magazines, including The Sober Curator. She writes reviews and articles for the Happy Every Hour section, including non-alcoholic spirit reviews and recipe contributions.
When not in the studio or traveling, she and her husband spend many weekends off-the-grid hiking and experimenting with new cocktails at their cabin in the woods of the North Cascades.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR: Check Out Our Revitalized Section of NA Beverage Reviews featuring NA Beers, Wines, Spirits, RTDs (ready-to-drink), recipes, activations, and more from behind the bar.
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