My sister is my biggest source of support and always gives me the honest truth– which not only makes her a fabulous sister, but also an excellent recipe tester. I’ve always wanted to start a blog but I let a variety of factors (let’s start with fear and waiting for the perfect time) to begin. My sister and brother-in-law reminded me (sometimes over several phone calls in a single evening) that I needed to trust the process, press the start button, and just commit to keep going.
My sister absolutely adores Moscow mules. They are her favorite! So it only makes sense to have my very first cocktail recipe featured on The Tash Mashup be a Moscow mule.
After experimenting with several different kinds of flavors, I was sure about one thing: my take on a Moscow mule had to include tamarind. The perfectly sour tang of tamarind pairs so well with the crisp and sharp flavors of ginger. While warm cocktails are a must this fall, I somehow find myself making these over and over again since they deliver on the warmth of fall, thanks to the fragrant and zingy notes of ginger.
Once I got the perfect ratio of tamarind: lime: ginger down– I quickly shared the recipe with my sister. While I wish we could be enjoying these together over the new upcoming season of This is Us, these over FaceTime will have to do for now.
So I suppose a virtual toast of sorts is in order... here’s to amazing sisters (and brother-in-laws)! Cheers!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of crushed ice cubes
1 teaspoon of tamarind concentrate (I used the Indira brand)
0.5 oz/15 mL of freshly squeezed lime juice
2 oz/60 mL of vodka (I used the Belvedere brand)
Ginger beer
Mint, for garnish
Lime slices, optional for garnish
Candied ginger, optional for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Place your ice in your glass of choice.
Then, add in your tamarind concentrate and lime juice. Stir to make sure the tamarind paste & lime juice are thoroughly combined to ensure that the tamarind is dissolved.
Then, add in your shots of vodka!
Top with ginger beer. For garnish, add a spring or mint, lime slices, and some pieces of candied ginger for the perfect tang!
~ Serves 1
Notes
You can find tamarind paste in the majority of grocery stores in the ‘Latin’ or ‘Asian’ aisle of your grocery store. Tamarind paste can also be made with fresh tamarind (if you happen to get your hands on some), but I love the easy squeeze (no fuss, no mess) packaging of the Indira brand.
While you can make this with ginger ale, I recommend sticking to ginger beer since it provides the right amount of zing to stand up to the tamarind. I’ve used a variety of ginger beers to make this cocktail recipe, but I’d have to say my favorite is TJ's Brewed Ginger Beer!