Moscow Mule
Vodka, lime and spicy ginger beer over ice, traditionally in a copper mug. Simple, zingy and easy to drink.
- MethodBuilt
- GlassCopper mug
- IceCubes
- Strengthabout 9.7% ABV
- BaseVodka
- Tastespicy, refreshing, sour
Recipe
| 45 ml 1½ oz | Vodka |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Fresh lime juice |
| Top up: 120 ml 4 oz | Ginger beer (non-alcoholic) |
Garnish. A lime wedge on the rim or in the mug; a sprig of mint is a common modern extra.
Method
- Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice.
- Add the vodka and lime juice.
- Top with cold ginger beer and stir gently once.
- Garnish with the lime wedge.
About the Moscow Mule
The Moscow Mule is vodka and fresh lime topped with ginger beer and served over ice. The vodka adds strength without much flavour, so the drink tastes of ginger heat and lime. The copper mug keeps it cold to the touch and has become part of its identity.
History
Documented
The drink was created in the United States around 1941 and promoted from the start as a way to sell two slow-moving products: the Smirnoff vodka that John G. Martin's company Heublein had recently acquired, and the ginger beer that Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock 'n' Bull restaurant in Los Angeles, was producing. Its success in the 1940s and 1950s did much to make vodka a common spirit in America.
Legend and lore
Accounts differ over where and by whom it was first mixed: at the Cock 'n' Bull by its bartender, or at a meeting of the businessmen in New York. The copper mugs are linked in later retellings to a woman with a stock of copper products to sell; the details vary from telling to telling.
Disputed or unclear: The exact year, place and person who first mixed the drink are disputed.
Variations
- Kentucky Mule. Bourbon in place of vodka.
- Mexican Mule. Tequila in place of vodka.
- El Diablo. Tequila, lime, crème de cassis and ginger beer.
- Gin Gin Mule. A modern New York drink: gin, lime, mint and ginger beer.
Bartender's notes
- Choose a dry, properly spicy ginger beer; ginger ale is too sweet and mild.
- Copper mugs should be lined (stainless steel or tin) on the inside if you use them for acidic drinks.
