Eric Tadsen
Three cup mule from Merchant.
Follow any beverage blog these days and it’s readily apparent that craft bartenders are sick of Moscow Mules. Of course they are. Mules are straightforward and easy to make (vodka, ginger beer and lime juice), and copper mugs are no longer a refreshing novelty. So to keep themselves entertained, bartenders are continually inventing new riffs on mules and other classic customer favorites.
The Three Cup Mule, on the spring menu at Merchant, 121 S. Pinckney St., is a savory reinvention. Inspired by the popular Chinese dish from Natt Spil called Three Cup Chicken, the Three Cup Mule is built around a sesame-washed mescal (made by freezing a mixture of sesame oil and mescal, then dumping off the congealed oil). What remains is more than an aroma; there’s a definite taste of sesame. Bartender Sean Davis then offsets the oil with a spicy blend of fresh lemon, a cayenne tincture and ginger honey syrup — all of which give a cutting-edge nod to the classic mule cocktail.
Finally, this drink is served up. I mention this because while most everyone apparently loves a cocktail on the rocks, I don’t. To me, this is a basic choice between delicacy and dilution.
And for a strong drink that packs in so many fusion flavors, the Three Cup Mule is delightfully delicate. You’d never guess it was invented by the burliest guy behind the bar.
