By Halloween week. Brayden is one hundred and nine weeks old. We have made the small private decision Dustin and I had been quietly working toward this fall — we are expecting our second baby. The news is fresh. We are sharing it only with the closest family at first. The Sunday post takes the form-factor of a Halloween cocktail-recipe but in the alcohol-free version, which is the version I am making at the apartment now.
The pumpkin spice Moscow mule is the fall-themed twist on the traditional vodka-ginger-beer cocktail. The alcoholic version uses vodka, ginger beer, lime juice, and a small pumpkin-spice syrup. The non-alcoholic version replaces the vodka with extra ginger beer or with a small amount of apple-cider-vinegar and a splash of sparkling water. The drink is served in a copper mug with crushed ice and a cinnamon-stick garnish.
The technique question on a pumpkin-spice syrup is the spice-bloom. The spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice berries, fresh ginger) need to simmer in a sugar-and-water syrup for ten minutes to bloom. The pumpkin-puree is added after the simmer (heating pumpkin-puree directly muddies the flavor). The syrup is strained through cheesecloth before storage.
Sunday I made the alcohol-free version for the apartment. Dustin had the alcohol version. I had the non-alcoholic. Brayden had a small sip of plain ginger-beer with a cinnamon stick to chew on (no syrup). The cocktail is the small fall-Halloween-week-anchor.
Aunt Linda’s small twice-weekly Tulsa-visits continue. She arrives at two PM. She stays for two hours. She holds Brayden (and later helps with both kids). She drinks the small cup of coffee I keep ready. We talk through the small week’s family-news. The small visits are the small social-thread that connects the Tulsa-apartment-life to the small Sapulpa-extended-family.
Brayden’s small developmental milestones have been arriving on the small typical-schedule. The pediatrician has been pleased at the small monthly check-ins. The small baby-and-now-toddler life continues to be the small foreground of the small family-of-three rhythm.
Pumpkin Spice Moscow Mule
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1/2 oz pumpkin puree
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish
- 4–5 oz ginger beer, chilled
- Ice (crushed preferred)
- Lime wheel and cinnamon stick, for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the base. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, pumpkin puree, lime juice, simple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Add a handful of ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until well chilled and combined.
- Fill your mule cup. Fill a copper mug (or a tall glass) generously with crushed ice.
- Strain and pour. Strain the shaken mixture over the ice in your mug, leaving room at the top for the ginger beer.
- Top with ginger beer. Pour the chilled ginger beer gently over the back of a spoon to preserve the fizz. Give the drink one gentle stir to just barely combine.
- Garnish and serve. Add a lime wheel and a cinnamon stick, then dust lightly with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice on top. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 15mg