Moscow Mule Recipe
Cold, fizzy and sharp, the Moscow Mule turns three humble ingredients into one of the most refreshing cocktails ever poured. Built in a copper mug, the spicy snap of ginger beer meets clean vodka and a squeeze of lime for a drink that stays crisp to the last sip.
Ingredients
- 2 ozvodka
- 0.5 ozfresh lime juice
- 4 to 6 ozginger beer, chilled
- 1 cupice
Garnish
- Lime wheel
- Fresh mint sprig (optional)
Equipment: Copper mug or highball glass, jigger, citrus squeezer, bar spoon
Method
- Fill a copper mug or highball glass to the top with ice and let it chill while you gather the ingredients.
- Pour 2 oz vodka and 0.5 oz fresh lime juice over the ice.
- Top with 4 to 6 oz chilled ginger beer, pouring slowly to keep the carbonation lively.
- Stir gently once or twice with a bar spoon to combine without killing the fizz.
- Garnish with a lime wheel, add a mint sprig if you like, and serve immediately.
About the Moscow Mule
The Moscow Mule dates to 1941, when a vodka importer, a ginger beer maker and a copper mug supplier teamed up in New York to move three slow-selling products. The drink caught on fast, and the copper mug became its signature: the metal chills quickly and keeps the cocktail colder longer than glass. Despite the name, there is no Russian connection to the recipe itself, just a marketing hook that stuck.
To nail it, use a bold, spicy ginger beer rather than a sweet, mild one, since the ginger heat is what balances the vodka. Squeeze the lime fresh, measure the vodka so the drink stays bright instead of boozy, and keep everything cold before you build. Pour the ginger beer last and stir only briefly so the carbonation survives the trip from mug to lips.
- Chill the copper mug in the freezer for 10 minutes for an extra-frosty pour.
- Choose a ginger beer with real ginger bite, not a soft drink style ginger ale.
- Add a splash more lime if your ginger beer runs sweet.
- Skip crushed ice if you want the drink to stay fizzy longer; large cubes melt slower.
Get the bottles delivered
Order online for same-day or next-day Long Island delivery, free curbside pickup in Commack, or wine shipping where it is legal (spirits are local delivery and in-store pickup only). You must be 21 or older.
