Cassia Banana Mule

Cocktail Los Angeles

The original Moscow Mule came to be in 1941 at Hollywood’s Cock ‘N Bull to put a glut of Smirnoff Vodka and copper mugs to good use. Bar director Kenny Arbuckle’s mule motivations were less about efficiency and more about flavor at Cassia, the modern Asian brasserie from Chef Bryant Ng, Kim Luu Ng, Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan Loeb.

I used to see Arbuckle drinking Craftsman beer and eating dinner at The Spice Table, the late great Little Tokyo restaurant from Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng. Now he’s in charge the bar at Cassia, which is about three times the size of The Spice Table, and even more ambitious. Arbuckle finds inspiration in the nearby Santa Monica Farmers Market, and of course in the flavors of Ng’s nuanced cooking. His Banana Mule doesn’t contain vodka and doesn’t come in a copper mug, but still has plenty of kick, complete with banana infused gin, galangal-ginger-lemongrass syrup, mint, and lime in a Collins glass.

Arbuckle starts by infusing Beefeater London dry gin with banana, opting for that particular gin since the spirit’s “bright botanicals” balance the fruit’s savory notes and can still shine through the cocktail’s other ingredients. Arbuckle added, “The spice from the ginger is given depth by the addition of galangal and lemongrass…High notes from the gin and the mint round it out. It’s got bigger body than a typical mule, and is a great cocktail with the food, as it reflects on the spiciness of some of the menu items, but is refreshing at the same time.” The Banana Mule’s flavor also lingers, which in this case is welcome.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

Blog Comments

Loved this drink at my dinner there on opening night, but I didn’t think the banana came through enough behind the ginger/galangal/lemongrass, though it’s a fine line between not enough banana flavor and too much. Check out my write-up of my Cassia meal on my blog. /plug

The Offalo, Interesting write-up. We ordered just one common dish, the charcuterie fried rice. I’m a big believer in Cassia and look forward to returning soon with a bigger group.

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