Don’t Put Away That Sleigh!
Featuring the Ginger Bell Mule
Winter didn’t end just because the ornaments went back in their box. There are still frozen mornings, more fires to start in the fireplace, and at least three more months where a mug in your hands feels like a survival strategy. This is the stretch of winter that belongs to sleigh rides, not shopping malls. The quiet part.
Sleighs weren’t just for postcards. They were real transportation. Practical, seasonal, and surprisingly social. And those bells were not decorative. They were an early warning system on snowy roads where sound traveled farther than sight. You heard a team coming before you saw them. Bells meant movement. Company. A horse on its way.
The Ginger Bell Mule is named for that moment…
It’s a winter mule that doesn’t shout. It rings.
Instead of citrus bite, it leans into pear. Instead of ice, it melts over snow. Ginger brings warmth, vanilla softens the edges, and star anise lives in the air rather than on the tongue. It changes as you make it and again as you drink it. Familiar mug, fully sensory experience.
In a lot of places, sleigh season does not peak in December. It starts when the snow finally settles in. February. Sometimes March. The kind of winter where roads go quiet and you realize the season is not rushing anywhere.
Back when sleigh rides were everyday winter travel, they were also social events. People held sleigh parties. Groups bundled up, hitched the horses, rang through the countryside, and ended the night with food, music, and long conversations once the horses were settled. The bells were the sound of a night out.
We have updated the tradition. Fewer runners on roads. More boots by the door. Same idea. Cold air, good company, something waiting on the other side of the ride.
The Ginger Bell Mule fits right into that world. It is cold on purpose. The flavors are warm, but the drink stays crisp. It is what you sip by a fire with your coat still on, or in a warm barn while your boots are drying.
Not all winter travel is slow and jingling, either. In some places it involves skis, speed, and a lot more adrenaline. Skijoring has its own culture and very much its own “what are we drinking after this?” energy. We will be talking about that soon.
For now, this one is for the bell ring. The slow ride. The quiet stretch of winter that still has something to say. So do not put away that sleigh just yet! Winter still has places to take you, even if it is only from the door to the couch and back again.
⟡ Recipe Card ⟡
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Cheers!
— The Barngoddess