Orange Darjeeling Moscow Mule

I found copper mugs for cheap at Christmas Tree Shops and bought them because I thought they were pretty and would look nice in our glass cabinets. And then, I decided I need to make a cocktail so that I would have a reason to feature them on my blog. The most well-known reason for using a copper mug is to make a Moscow mule.

The Moscow mule has a fun, but murky history. Murky meaning that there are several stories out there. However, the gist is that there was someone trying to popularize (or get rid of a stock of) vodka, someone else trying to do the same thing with ginger beer, and a third party who contributed the copper mugs. All three came together to form the Moscow mule.

I'm not sharing a traditional Moscow mule because there's no fun in that. I came up with this variation because I thought it would be yummy and it totally is.

Ingredients [for one]:
ice
2 oz. vodka (or more if you're a lush)
2 oz. orange juice (freshly squeezed)
4 oz. hot water
1 tablespoon darjeeling
2 teaspoons marmalade
orange slice

This is a crazy easy drink to make but it does take a little bit of time, just because you have to wait for the tea to cool. Of course, if you wanted to make these for a party, I'd suggest making a big batch of tea ahead of time.

Okay, so start by brewing the tea. Use a really fragrant darjeeling. It should smell warm and lightly floral and sweet.

While the tea is still hot, stir in a good spoonful of marmalade. Let the tea cool until it's lukewarm.

Then, it's time to make the drink. Grab a copper mug (or a regular glass) and pop in some ice. Pour in the vodka, squeeze in some orange juice, and then pour in the tea. Give the glass a quick stir and then garnish with an orange slice. Pop in a straw for easy consumption.

This is a sweet and delicious cocktail. The tea adds a really lovely and kind of sophisticated depth of flavor and the orange makes it refreshing. The best part is that the vodka is barely detectable; I mean, that's the best part for me. Bottoms up!

Cheers!