Campfire Mules Are The Fiery Cocktails Ready To Warm Your Soul

While pumpkin spice cold brews and chai tea lattes may power your fall mornings, cozy spiked beverages are meant to get you through the chilly autumn evenings. When sitting around the campfire (or just under a thick blanket in your living room), you could sip on a classic Moscow mule or give it a fall twist by adding apple cider. But to truly warm your soul amid the dipping temperatures, try giving your Moscow mule the campfire upgrade.

An easy recipe for the classic version of these drinks includes vodka, ginger beer, mint simple syrup, and lime juice. To give yours the fall treatment, you'll want to replace the vodka with bourbon or whiskey, the mint simple syrup with maple syrup, and the lime juice with lemon. But what truly makes this drink fiery (besides the feeling you'll get from sipping on a sweet and sour whiskey cocktail)? Adding a smoky, toasted marshmallow garnish on top. Whether you're in the wilderness or not, you'll feel like you're warming your hands over the fire when you take a sip of a campfire mule.

If you do happen to be camping in the great outdoors, it should be easy enough to get a toasty garnish — just roast your marshmallows over the fire along with your s'mores. You could also replicate the effect with a fireplace if you have one. Without a fire, however, you can blast your marshmallows with a blow torch or hold them on a stick over a gas stove. This garnish is optional, of course, but essential if you're dedicated to channeling the campfire vibes. As an alternative, you could use a combination of marshmallow-flavored vodka and crème brûlée liqueur — the latter of which has vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar flavors — instead of whiskey or bourbon.

While ginger beer is a staple in any Moscow mule, feel free to swap out the liquor as you see fit for your marshmallow-topped campfire version. Not a fan of whiskey or bourbon? You can make this drink with amaretto for added nuttiness, classic vodka, rum, or a smoky mezcal. You could even add an extra-fiery twist by using Fireball (or another cinnamon whiskey) in place of a regular one. Instead of maple syrup, use a simple one or a flavored version like marshmallow, cinnamon, or ginger — and if you're not a fan of lemon, keep the lime juice from the original recipe (especially if you're using mezcal). You may never go back to traditional Moscow mules, even when the weather does begin to warm up.