IBA
Moscow Mule – IBA
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 12.1% ABV ∙
The Moscow Mule is an IBA-listed highball built with vodka, ginger beer, and fresh lime juice, traditionally served in a copper mug. Sharp, fizzy bite gives way to a clean spirit backbone, with a bright citrus tang cutting through the effervescence for a crisp, refreshing finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In a mule cup or rocks glass, combine the Vodka 45 ml and Ginger beer 120 ml
- Add Lime juice 10 ml and gently stir to involve all ingredients
- Garnish with a lime wheel
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before building — it keeps the ginger beer's fizz from flattening on contact with a warm surface.
- Add the lime juice last, after the vodka and ginger beer are combined, so the acidity doesn't get lost under the pour.
- Stir gently and briefly — vigorous stirring knocks the carbonation out of the ginger beer and leaves the drink flat.
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 — though the story has rival claimants, including a competing account tracing the drink to New York's Chatham Hotel the same year. This build reflects the standardized recipe the International Bartenders Association lists among its Contemporary Classics, calling for vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer served in the drink's signature copper mug — part of the wider "Mule" family of spirit-and-ginger-beer highballs that dates to the late 19th century.
FAQ
What is in a Moscow Mule?
A Moscow Mule is vodka, ginger beer, and fresh lime juice, built in the glass and garnished with a lime wheel. It is a low-effort highball at roughly 12% ABV, meant to be topped and stirred rather than shaken.
What alcohol goes in a Moscow Mule?
Vodka is the alcohol in a Moscow Mule, chosen for its neutral character so the ginger beer's spice can lead the flavor.
Do you use ginger beer or ginger ale in a Moscow Mule?
Ginger beer, not ginger ale. Ginger beer is spicier and more strongly flavored than the sweeter, milder ginger ale, and that punch is what gives a Moscow Mule its character; ginger ale makes a noticeably flatter, less spicy drink.
How do you make a really good Moscow Mule?
Pre-chill the glass, combine the vodka and ginger beer in a mule cup or rocks glass, then add fresh lime juice and stir gently to bring the drink together before garnishing with a lime wheel. Using a spicy, well-carbonated ginger beer and stirring lightly rather than hard preserves the fizz that makes the drink work.
What are some common mistakes when making a Moscow Mule?
The most common mistake is stirring too hard or too long, which knocks the carbonation out of the ginger beer and leaves the drink flat. Other frequent errors are using a weak ginger ale instead of a spicy ginger beer, using bottled lime juice instead of fresh, and skipping the pre-chill so the ice melts too fast and dilutes the drink.
