Buck (cocktail)

A buck or mule is a cocktail that is made with ginger ale or ginger beer, citrus juice, and any of a number of base liquors.[1]

Buck

Cocktail
Type	Cocktail family
Common alcohol(s)	Gin Bourbon whiskey Scotch whisky Tennessee whiskey Whiskey Brandy Pisco Vodka Rum
Served	On the rocks; poured over ice
Standard garnish	Any common garnish may be used
Standard drinkware	Copper cup, Collins
Commonly used ingredients	ginger beer for a classic buck, deeper more complex cocktail, or ginger ale, for a neutral/sweet, dive bar style buck. Lime or other citrus juice
Preparation	May be mixed or muddled if mint, syrups, or fresh fruit is added; shaken vigorously with ice, then strained into the glass. Topped with ginger ale or ginger beer.

Variations

Variations include:

• Bourbon, rye, or whiskey buck[1]
• Kentucky Buck, containing bourbon and strawberry.[2][3][4][5]
• Gin buck, containing gin. Sometimes known as British Buck or London Buck.[6][7]
• Gin Gin Mule, containing gin and mint.[8][9] Also known as a Ginger Rogers[10][11] (after the actress of the same name.)
• Irish buck, containing Irish whiskey[12]
• Mamie Taylor, containing scotch whisky.[13][14]
• Rum buck, also called a Barbados buck or Jamaican buck to indicate the origin of the rum. Adding lime to a Dark 'N' Stormy creates a rum buck.[1]
• Shanghai buck, made with light rum.[1]
• Vodka buck, also known as a Moscow mule, invented in Los Angeles, California, US, and largely responsible for the popularity of vodka in the United States from the 1940s through 1960s.[1]
• Chilcano, made with Pisco.[15][16]
• Variations using brandy and other liquors[1]
• Addition of syrups, different types of juice, fresh ginger, mint, and various garnishes[1]

In popular culture

• In the Better Call Saul season 2 episode, "Bali H'ai", Schweikart, a founding partner of Kim Wexler's opposing firm, treats her to an upscale lunch to recruit her, orders a Moscow Mule in a copper mug, and offers her one, too. She declines both the mid-day drink, which she calls "vintage", and the job offer, but tacitly acknowledges Schweikart's message that the freedom to drink during a working lunch symbolizes the firm's larger offer of freedom to "spread her wings", in a firm unlike HHM's restrictive, unsupportive environment. Later that evening, Kim orders herself a Moscow Mule at a bar, and then calls Jimmy to help her fleece a philanderer who is hitting on her.[17]

See also

•  Liquor portal
• List of cocktails

References

1. Camper English (2009-07-24). "Ginger beer gives a buck more bang". San Francisco Chronicle.
2. "Kentucky Buck". Saveur. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
3. English, Camper; Chronicle, Special to The (2009-07-26). "Ginger beer gives a buck more bang". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
4. "Kentucky Buck Cocktail Recipe". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
5. Imbibe (2014-05-02). "Kentucky Buck Recipe". Imbibe Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
6. "London Buck with Thomas Henry Spicy Ginger | Drinks with Gin | Recipes". Thomas Henry. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
7. "British Buck | Kindred Cocktails". kindredcocktails.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
8. "Gin Gin Mule". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
9. "Gin-Gin Mule". Los Angeles Times. 2006-04-26. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
10. Imbibe (2015-09-15). "Ginger Rogers Cocktail". Imbibe Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
11. Punch. "PUNCH | Ginger Rogers Cocktail Recipe". PUNCH. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
12. Graham, Colleen (October 19, 2019). "The Classic Whiskey Highball Is Easy and Refreshing". The Spruce Eats.
13. "If You Love the Moscow Mule, Try a Mamie Taylor". Liquor.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
14. Imbibe (2009-12-04). "Mamie Taylor Cocktail". Imbibe Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
15. "The Chilcano is the Pisco Cocktail You're Craving". Liquor.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
16. Imbibe (2016-08-16). "The Chilcano Cocktail". Imbibe Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
17. Bowman, Donna (March 21, 2016). "Better Call Saul: Bali H'ai". AV Club.