Moscow Mule
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 14.6% ABV ∙
The Moscow Mule is a vodka highball built with lime juice and ginger beer, traditionally served in a copper mug. Sharp, effervescent bite gives way to a crisp, clean finish, with a cool mint whisper cutting through the tangy, chilled sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour the first 3 ingredients into a copper mug or glass: Vodka 60 mlLime juice 15 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Stir
- Fill the vessel 2/3 full with cubed ice
- Top with Ginger beer and crown with crushed ice
- Garnish with a lime wheel and a mint sprig
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before building so the ginger beer stays lively and doesn't go flat on contact with a warm surface.
- Top with the ginger beer just before serving and crown with crushed ice, so the carbonation survives to the table.
History
The Moscow Mule is credited to a 1941 meeting in Los Angeles between John G. Martin, a Heublein executive who had bought the struggling American rights to Smirnoff vodka, and Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock 'n' Bull pub on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, who was sitting on unsold stock of his own ginger beer. Looking to move both products, the two are said to have combined vodka, ginger beer, and lime, with a woman at the table, sometimes named as Sophie Berezinski or as Ozeline Schmitt/Osalene Schmidt, credited with supplying the copper mugs the drink became known for.
Some accounts instead place the invention at New York's Chatham Hotel in 1941, and in 2007 the Cock 'n' Bull's head bartender, Wes Price, told the Wall Street Journal that he alone devised the drink to clear out unsold ginger beer, serving the first one to actor Broderick Crawford.
Martin later toured American bars taking Polaroid photos of bartenders holding the copper mug and a bottle of Smirnoff, a marketing campaign widely credited with popularizing both the drink and vodka itself in the United States through the 1950s.
The Moscow Mule belongs to the "Mule" family (also called bucks), a category of drinks combining a base spirit with ginger beer or ginger ale and citrus that dates to the late 19th century; the Moscow Mule set the template of vodka in place of other spirits and paired it with its signature copper serving mug.
FAQ
What is typically in a Moscow Mule?
Vodka, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup, stirred together in the vessel and lengthened with ginger beer, then finished with cubed and crushed ice. It is built rather than shaken.
What are the ingredients in a Moscow Mule?
Vodka, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup, and ginger beer, built directly in the glass and topped with crushed ice, a lime wheel, and a mint sprig.
Is a Moscow Mule a strong drink?
It is moderate in strength at about 14.6% ABV, lighter than a straight spirit drink because the ginger beer and ice make up most of the volume. The build is stirred first and topped rather than shaken, so the vodka stays noticeable without dominating the ginger and lime.
Why do people use copper mugs for Moscow Mules?
Copper conducts cold efficiently, so the mug chills quickly and stays cold longer than glass, keeping the ginger beer's fizz lively. It is also part of the drink's original presentation and remains its signature serving vessel, though a chilled Collins glass works just as well.
What are some common mistakes when making Moscow Mules?
The most common mistake is using ginger ale instead of ginger beer, which gives a weak, overly sweet drink instead of a spicy one. Other frequent errors include skipping fresh lime for bottled juice and adding the ginger beer too early, which flattens its carbonation before serving.
What's the difference between a Moscow Mule and a London Mule?
A London Mule swaps the vodka for gin, giving it a more botanical, juniper-forward profile, while a Moscow Mule keeps the neutral vodka base so the lime and ginger lead.
What is a cowboy mule?
A Cowboy Mule swaps the base spirit for bourbon, giving it a warmer, oak-tinged profile while keeping the same build style.
