The Ultimate Homemade Jam Cocktail: Poppycocks’ Nordic Mule

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A Snowy Saturday Winter Cocktail 

Poppycocks in Traverse City is known for its innovative cocktail program. Guided by lead mixologist Emily Bryant, the seasonally changing menu has featured beverages with bouncy, aromatic bubbles, foam-topped negronis and a campfire espresso martini garnished with torched marshmallows. “Learning about cocktails, and the multitude of flavor profiles that can be incorporated into various drinks, opened a whole new level of creativity for me,” Bryant says. “The joy of being a part of this ever-changing liquid culture—and watching patrons return again and again, whether it’s next Saturday or next summer—is what gets me hyped to walk into work each day. My fascination with the science and chemistry behind mixology is just a bonus.”Bryant’s favorite wintertime cocktail is the Nordic Mule, featuring Petoskey’s Gypsy Vodka and a spoonful of cranberry-orange jam. “The flavors really evolve on the palate,” she says. “Starting with the smell of that rosemary garnish and the ginger, and continuing to the first sip through a straw, you taste every layer.”

We also love the splash of color this cocktail lends to the North’s great white winters. After a snowy Saturday adventure, once you’ve peeled off your layers of winter gear, it’ll warm you right up.

Poppycocks’ Nordic Mule Recipe 

Serves 1

What you will need:

• 1 teaspoon Emily’s cran-orange jam (see below)
• .75 ounce Norden aquavit
• .75 ounce Gypsy vodka, or your favorite brand
• .5 ounce lime juice
• .5 ounce rosemary clove syrup (see below)
• Ginger beer, Emily’s favorite brand is Fever-Tree
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Steps: 

1. Add a teaspoon of Emily’s cran-orange jam to the bottom of a rocks glass.
2. Fill glass with ice.
3. Pour Norden aquavit, vodka, lime juice and rosemary clove syrup over ice.
4. Top the remainder of the glass with ginger beer.
5. Stir gently to combine flavors while still maintaining that beautiful color gradient.
6. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary slightly dampened with water and rolled in sugar.

Emily’s Cran-Orange Jam Recipe

Yields 4 cups

What you will need: 

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ orange, peeled

Steps:

1. Add all ingredients to a stove pot.
2. Bring to a rolling boil.
3. Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Take off heat and let cool.
5. Once the jam has cooled completely, blend on high in a blender until you get an even consistency.
6. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Rosemary Clove Syrup Recipe

Yields 1 cup

What you need:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 8 whole cloves

Steps: 

1. Add ingredients to stove pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiled, turn off heat.
3. Let ingredients marinate in syrup for at least one hour before straining.
4. Refrigerate until ready to use.

More Last Call Cocktail Recipes

• Your New Favorite Winter Cocktail Recipe: The Snowbird Spritz
• Sage Bee’s Knees Cocktail + Sage-Honey Syrup Recipe
• October 2022 Last Call: Pommeau Flip Fall Cocktail Recipe