On our final day in Amsterdam my husband and I meandered through the streets of the city, soaking in as much of the vibrant town as we could before our flight to Prague. We stopped for a late lunch at a little corner cafe situated on a canal and lingered there for a couple of hours, watching the city go by.
Amsterdam is a town where beer flows like water; in fact a glass of beer is considerably less expensive than a glass of water. Needless to say, I was getting a little tired of drinking beer at every meal and decided water a cocktail was in order. After surveying the menu I settled on a Moscow Mule, fully expecting to be served a classic no-frills vodka and ginger beer concoction.
What was placed in front of me however was a gorgeous glass filled with slices of cucumber and topped with black pepper. I took a sip and, to my great surprise, the cocktail tasted even better than it looked! I immediately took a photo of the drink and announced that I was going to recreate the mule recipe and share it on the blog as soon as we got home. I did exactly that my first weekend home and thus the Amsterdam Mule was born.
This drink takes your basic mule recipe one step further, offering a decidedly unique and refreshing taste. To ensure that the cucumber is able to hold its own against the overpowering taste of ginger, I suggest adding in homemade cucumber simple syrup (directions are below in the recipe notes). The simple syrup is what really elevates this mule to the next level and makes it something special.
Finish off your drink by adding fresh mint to the bottom of your glass, pour the simple syrup over the leaves and muddle away. Top off the cocktail with a splash of black pepper (it tastes a lot better than it sounds), garnish with slices of cucumber and you’ve got yourself a taste of Amsterdam. Proost!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 person | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 5 minutes | 10 minutes |
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This Amsterdam Mule recipe takes the classic Moscow Mule one step further. The addition of cucumber simple syrup, the subtle taste of mint and a garnishment of black pepper give this drink a decidedly unique and refreshing taste.
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- 1.5 ounces cucumber simple syrup
- 1.5 ounces vodka
- 3 ounces ginger beer
- 3 sprigs mint
- several thin slices cucumber
- Add mint leaves to the bottom of your glasses.
- Pour 1.5 ounces of cooled cucumber simple syrup into each of your glasses.
- Muddle mint
- Add in ice cubes, vodka and ginger beer.
- Top with a garnishment of cucumber and black pepper.
Cucumber Simple Syrup Recipe
Yields: 3 servings
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 slices cucumber
- Peel cucumber and cut into 1/2" slices.
- Add sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add cucumber slices to sugar and water mixture.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit for ten minutes.
- Strain mixture through fine mesh strainer to remove cucumber.