Food to Film sold me a fantasy: a crisp, refreshing, minty Moscow Mule that would make me feel like a glamorous person who owns copper mugs and casually says things like “let’s just have one.” What I actually learned is something far more important about myself.
I do not like ginger beer.
I also do not like mint leaves in my drinks.
Growth. 🌱
Let’s start with the recipe itself, which is extremely simple and honestly not the problem here. Vodka, lime, ginger beer, mint. That’s it. No obscure syrups, no overnight infusions, no “for best results, harvest mint under a full moon.” I respect that. This is a low-effort cocktail for people who want a drink now, not a lifestyle.
You muddle lime quarters with vodka, which already feels promising. Lime and vodka? Friends. Allies. Ride-or-dies. This step made me hopeful. Optimistic, even. I thought: Ah yes, this is going to be one of those cocktails that tastes clean and sharp and refreshing.
Then comes the ginger beer.
I keep trying to like ginger beer. I truly do. Every time I encounter it, I think, Maybe this will be the one that changes my mind. It never is. Ginger beer tastes like carbonation with opinions. It’s spicy but not spicy, sweet but not sweet, and somehow always louder than every other ingredient in the glass. The lime tries to speak. The vodka minds its business. The ginger beer barges in and dominates the conversation.
And the mint. Oh, the mint.
Mint in drinks is one of those things that sounds great in theory and then immediately reminds me of toothpaste in practice. I know there are mint people. I am simply not one of them. Floating mint leaves in my drink made me feel like I was sipping a garden.
To be clear: this is not a bad Moscow Mule. It is a very correct Moscow Mule. If you love ginger beer, if you enjoy mint in beverages, if you have ever said the phrase “this is so refreshing” unironically, you will probably love this. The balance is there. The lime cuts through. The vodka does its job. Food to Film did nothing wrong.
This recipe just revealed a personal truth I’ve been avoiding.
I want my cocktails citrusy, cold, and minding their own business. I do not want them herbal. I do not want them spicy-adjacent. I do not want them tasting like they could double as a palate cleanser at a spa.
Would I make this again?
No.
Would I swap the ginger beer for something else and pretend it’s still a Moscow Mule?
Absolutely, and with confidence.
Final verdict:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 — not because it’s bad, but because it taught me something about myself I was not emotionally prepared to learn.
Kristen Experiments takeaway: sometimes the real experiment is discovering your enemies.
