Around The World in 80 Drinks: Berber Lodge’s Spring Moroccan Mint Mule
Before you see spring in Morocco, you can smell it — the sweet fragrance of orange and almond blossoms wafting from the hills down to the copper stills of the Medina. The rose bushes and mint awake soon after, their familiar and beloved scents taking their rightful place in the perfume and palets of the locals.
At Berber Lodge, an elegantly rustic hotel nestled at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, they’re celebrating the spring blooms, too. Sourcing the highest-quality local ingredients and ripest picks from their garden, Berber Lodge cooks up local fares served family-style under ancient olive trees. Cocktails are shaken and stirred with the same fresh, garden ingredients and homemade syrups.
The masterpiece of Romain Michel Meniere — a French-Swiss interior designer — Berber Lodge is a haven built out of traditional adobe bricks and decorated with French antiques and local furniture and crafts. But, it’s the plot of land that sets the tone — tall grasses, centuries-old olive trees and precarious cacti creating a serene landscape that you must slow down to enjoy.
Here, Romain and his team invite you to ditch the bustle of the city and relax into their surroundings, perhaps tucked into a shady corner with a book, or sprawled out by the pool. Better yet, with a drink in hand, like their mint mule.
Talking MINT MULE with BERBER LODGE mixologist, MIHMED.
How did this drink come to be?
”The idea basically came from a friend who works with us, a German-Moroccan named Armin Tigli. We wanted to find ideas using our own organic garden to make a fresh, international cocktail but with our own touch. We grow the ginger and sugar, and pick the mint right here on the property.”
Tell us about the flavors of this drink.
”The cocktail is made with our own homemade fresh ginger syrup — it’s mostly a summer cocktail because it’s so refreshing, but it can work out all year long, especially with the addition of fresh mint, a beautiful flavor we use a lot here in Morocco.”
What makes this drink special?
”The fresh ginger syrup really creates a special taste that’s different from bubbling gingerbeer that’s typically used in a Mule. It’s fresh and sweet, especially with the mint.”
BERBER LODGE
MOROCCAN MINT MULE
Ingredients
2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh lime juice
4 ounces (1/2 cup) Home made ginger syrup
For the garnish: lime wheel or wedge, fresh mint
Instructions
For your fresh ginger syrup, peel the ginger root with a vegetable peeler, and cut into thin rounds. Bring 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil over medium-high heat, then add the sliced ginger and bring the mixture back up to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to steep for at least 30 minutes, after, straining the syrup through fine mesh.
To mix up the drink, combine your vodka, lime juice and fresh ginger syrup into a shaker with ice. Shake, pour over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and fresh mint.
