inside days and a recipe for the gin gin mule
Happy Friday, everyone! Or, as we like to call it during the “inside times”, day. Just day. One of the many inside days that have already passed as well as just one of those that are to come.
Since social distancing and staying home as much as possible isn’t optional right now, I’m doing my best to make the most out of it and taking the opportunity for a little reconnecting and self improvement over here. And, can I just say, I feel incredibly fortunate that this is all happening at a time in history when technology and the internet makes so much accessible to us. Because of the technology that we have right now, I’ve been able to video chat with my sisters in Florence and New York, argue with my grandmother about the nuances of certain recipes, show my parents (in real time) the results of ongoing home-improvement projects, continue my current campaign online with my D&D party, and sing happy birthday to my friend’s daughter together with 10 other people who are spread across the GTA. I’m even working on an online “pub quiz” right now for my extended friend group so that we can all “hang out” together. It’s honestly pretty amazing that even though we’re isolated, we’re not alone if we don’t want to be.
It’s also awesome that there are scores of totally free (and really good) classes and lessons accessible absolutely everywhere online right now: cooking, crafts, languages, coding, photo editing, philosophy, history, Pilates, yoga, meditation, karate… basically anything you can think of. It’s an amazing opportunity to finally get around to anything and everything that you’ve wanted to learn or do. I myself am currently working on my Italian (my grammar is terrible), learning to knit and trying to do one workout video every day. Wish me luck!
*NOTE: To anyone who’s interested, shoot me a text, email or DM and I’ll send my awesome-free-activities-list over to you ASAP.
I don’t know about anyone else, but all of this constantly trying to be busy and productive and self-improving and keeping in touch but staying inside is draining. I find myself pausing in the middle of my day and thinking “I’ve been good, I’ve done so much today… I deserve a fun treat later. No, I need one”. I’ve put out a number of healthy recipes recently, which is great for the inside times, but this whole thing has got me thinking that maybe other people need fun treats right now too.
And so I give you a recipe for my favourite drink: the gin gin mule. What’s a gin gin mule, you ask? It’s basically the sweet, gin-based lovechild of a moscow mule and a mojito. This drink is minty, limey, gingery and incredibly fresh and light. This drink tastes like summer days and freedom. This drink is both the hero that the city deserves right now and the hero that the city needs. Have a drink,- you deserve it!
the gin gin mule
makes: 1 drink, 5oz prep time: 5 minutes total time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10 mint leaves
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 3/4 oz. lime juice
- 1 1/2 oz gin (my favourite is Roku Gin, but any good classic or citrus-infused gin will do)
- 2 oz ginger beer (not ginger ale! President’s choice brand is great, FYI)
- 1 mint sprig (for garnish
Directions
- Muddle mint leaves, simple syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Add the gin and fill with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled Moscow mule glass, highball glass or mason jar.
- Top with ginger beer and garnish with a mint sprig. Enjoy!!!
