Spicy Mango Moscow Mule

The mule was invented to sell ginger beer nobody was buying, which is a decent reminder that most classics started as someone's problem. This version adds the one thing ginger has always wanted: another kind of heat to argue with.

Ginger beer is sharp and dry and hits the front of the mouth immediately. The Mango Habanero liqueur answers from the other direction — mango filling in the middle where a mule is usually hollow, then habanero arriving underneath the ginger and stretching the finish out. Vodka stays where it belongs: out of the way, adding length. Lime holds the two heats apart so neither one wins.

A copper mug if you own one, because the metal genuinely keeps it colder for longer; a highball is fine otherwise. Fill it with ice, liqueur and vodka, then top with ginger beer straight from the fridge. Use a spicy ginger beer rather than a sweet ginger ale — this drink is built on that bite. Squeeze a lime wedge in and drop it. Stir once, gently.