The Lever House is a New York City landmark ripe with inspiration. The glass and steel building on Park Avenue was one of the first of its kind when it was built in 1952, and is known for being home to a picturesque courtyard and various art installations. The unique office building’s restaurant, Casa Lever, boasts an impressive collection of Warhols and serves upscale Italian fare.
Perhaps sparked by the pop art staring down at him, Beverage Manager Jason Shuffler came up with this mash up of two classic cocktails while looking into the drinks of a bygone era.
“I first came up with the idea for the Vecchio Mulo while researching classic cocktails of the 50’s and 60’s: the Old Fashioned was the drink of choice back then, of course,” he says. “The Vecchio Mulo is combination of components from an Old Fashioned and a Moscow Mule with the garnish of a Horse’s Neck with a Kick (a cocktail that dates back to the late 1800s).”
VECCHIO MULO
2 oz. Charles Goodnight Bourbon
.5 oz. Ginger syrup*
.25 oz. Cynar
1 dash Orange bitters
Orange peel
Add ingredients and ice to a shaker. Shake for a minute then strain into a rocks glass with large 4×4 ice cube. Top with orange peel.
Ginger Syrup: Chop 1 cup ginger. Boil 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar, add the ginger and reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat. Let the mixture cool down, then remove the ginger. Pass through a strainer and refrigerate.
