Once the preserve of a select few in the know, the Gin Gin Mule is a refreshing cocktail that has earned acclaim internationally. Crafted with gin, ginger beer, simple syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, and fresh mint, this highball has intriguing origins that can be traced back to Audrey Saunders, a renowned disciple of Dale DeGroff, fondly known as the "King Cocktail".

Saunders, who is also the owner of New York's influential cocktail bar, the Pegu Club, first introduced the Gin Gin Mule to the world on a menu at the renowned Manhattan restaurant Beacon in 2000, where she was the manager at the time. It was here where Saunders perfected the recipe, choosing to use a home-brewed ginger beer for an extra kick. Yet it wasn't until five years later in 2005, at her own Pegu Club, that Saunders's drink attained its well-deserved popularity.

In a time when many were cautious of gin's dominant juniper flavor, Saunders was recognized for gently incorporating the spirit into pleasurable cocktails, earning herself the title of a gin enthusiast. The peak of the mid-2000s cocktail resurgence saw the Moscow Mule and the Mojito win favor among crowds, and Saunders cleverly managed to blend the two cocktails to create the Gin Gin Mule, which soon became a favored alternative for vodka aficionados.

The constituent ingredients of the Gin Gin Mule - mint, ginger, lime juice, and gin - may seem common and unremarkable today, but they were ground-breaking when Saunders combined them.

Accomplished cocktail author Robert Simonson revives a remark from Saunders in his 2022 book 'Modern Classic Cocktails', illustrating her inspirational moment during the concoction of the Gin Gin Mule. Saunders reminisces "Dale [DeGroff] showed me his recipe for a classic Mojito with a dash or two of Angostura. Incorporating a fresh herb into a cocktail - who would have thought? It was truly remarkable. The Mojito's base of mint and lime? Simply delightful. At that point, I delved deeply into gin, replacing rum with gin to see how it tasted.”

Saunders insists that homemade ginger beer is a vital ingredient in the Gin Gin Mule, offering a less sugary taste and a more sophisticated flavor profile with a kick of ginger spice. Should you opt for store-bought ginger beer, adjusting the simple syrup quantity or excluding it entirely can help maintain the desired sweetness. Likewise, increasing the lime juice to a full ounce if necessary can also help balance the sweetness.

Lastly, here's the recipe for the Gin Gin Mule: muddle a sprig of mint, simple syrup, and lime juice in a shaker. Add gin and ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain this into a highball glass over fresh ice, top it up with ginger beer and give it a stir. Garnish with a mint sprig and enjoy.