Moscow Mule
- Glass
- Copper Mug
- Difficulty
- Easy
- ABV
- ~8%
Ingredients
- 2 ozvodka60 ml
- ¾ ozfresh lime juice22 ml
- 4 ozginger beer120 ml
Instructions
Fill a copper mug (or rocks glass) with ice — the more the better, as the mug conducts cold beautifully. Add the vodka and fresh lime juice directly over the ice. Top with ginger beer and give it a single, gentle stir to combine without losing the carbonation. Garnish with a lime wheel and, if you have it, a candied ginger piece on the rim.
Sips & Tips
Technique
Build this drink directly in the mug — no shaking, no stirring beyond a single gentle pass. The ginger beer does the work. Add it last and pour slowly down the side of the mug to preserve the fizz. The copper mug isn't just aesthetic — it keeps the drink colder longer.
Balance
The ratio is flexible. More lime makes it sharper and more refreshing; less makes it sweeter and more ginger-forward. The vodka should be clean and neutral — this isn't the place for a characterful spirit. Use a quality ginger beer with real ginger heat, not a sweet ginger ale. Fever-Tree or Bundaberg are reliable choices.
History
The Moscow Mule was invented in 1941 at the Cock 'n' Bull bar in Hollywood — a collaboration between John G. Martin of Heublein (who had just acquired Smirnoff) and Jack Morgan, who was struggling to sell his ginger beer. The copper mug was added as a marketing gimmick by Morgan's girlfriend, who happened to be in the copper business. It worked.
The Moscow Mule is the gateway drug of vodka cocktails — easy to make, endlessly refreshing, and impossible to dislike. It's also a reminder that the best cocktails are often born from necessity. Cheers.
Variations
Kentucky Mule
Swap the vodka for 2 oz of bourbon. The whiskey's vanilla and caramel notes play beautifully against the ginger heat — arguably more interesting than the original.
Dark & Stormy
Replace the vodka with 2 oz of dark rum (Gosling's Black Seal is traditional) and skip the lime juice. The molasses richness of the rum against the ginger beer is a classic Caribbean combination.
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Moscow Mule
Glass: Copper Mug | Difficulty: Easy | ABV: ~8%
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 4 oz ginger beer
Instructions
Fill a copper mug (or rocks glass) with ice — the more the better, as the mug conducts cold beautifully. Add the vodka and fresh lime juice directly over the ice. Top with ginger beer and give it a single, gentle stir to combine without losing the carbonation. Garnish with a lime wheel and, if you have it, a candied ginger piece on the rim.