This easy Moscow Mule recipe is the perfect summer cocktail. It’s made with three simple ingredients. Plus we’ve included tips on how to purchase Moscow Mule mugs and how you can make a variety of fun drinks in them.
It’s officially summer here and we are whipping up some yummy, refreshing cocktails to enjoy on the porch. In the last year or two, we have been a huge fan of the shiny copper mugs served at our local favorite restaurant. We discovered the delightful drink served in them was called the Moscow Mule. Of course being the foodie nerds we are, we had to experiment and make our own Moscow Mule at home (plus it saves a ton of money making cocktails at home yourself!) And we found the perfect copper mugs to do just that!
What we discovered is the Moscow Mule is a very simple drink to make. It’s comprised of a spicy ginger beer, fresh lime, and a high quality vodka. Moscow Mules are generally served up in chilly copper mugs which make for a great conversation starter at your parties.
We recently found some beautiful hammered copper mugs through MoscowMuled.com. If you are looking to host parties this summer, making these cocktails is a fun way to bring friends around the table and experiment with variations on the Moscow Mule recipe.
There are actually many ways to serve up a “mule” in case you didn’t know already! So if you are looking for a few recommendations, we will include some in this post.
What’s makes the perfect Moscow Mule Recipe?
The answer is pretty simple, but the three key ingredients must be high quality. We talk about this in many of our recipes. Please know that you will notice a huge difference in your cocktails if you buy cheap liquor or bottled lime juice instead of higher quality alcohol and fresh squeezed juice.
Ginger Beer
The first ingredient for the perfect Moscow Mule Recipe is a spicy ginger beer. We are Trader Joe’s fans and love the Trader Joe’s Ginger Beer. You may want to purchase a few and taste them in the blended recipe to see which one you prefer. Fever Tree Ginger Beer is another option which can be found in most stores or on Amazon.
Vodka
You’ll want a high quality Vodka for your Moscow Mule drink to taste more on point. We recommend Absolut Vodka, and Trader Joe’s makes a pretty good vodka as well. You can experiment with a few to see which one stands out.
Fresh Limes
This is a great reason to use the limes from our tree! Fresh squeezed limes make all the difference in the Moscow Mule recipe. Avoid the bottled lime juice… my hubby says that stuff will give you headaches anyway! Ha, ha so there’s reason enough.
You’ll also need crushed ice, some garnishes like the lime wedges you used, and some fresh cut mint (also very easy to grow in your garden and it smells amazing)!
Moscow Mule Mugs
The most important part of your Moscow Mule drink is serving it up in copper mugs. We keep our mugs in our kitchen cabinet with glass doors and they show off so nicely. I’m always excited to pull them out and use them for our parties or when we have friends come over for a fun evening.
Recently we found out from our friends at MoscowMuled that lime can cause a reaction with copper. And while it would take drinking from a copper lined mug every night for like 20 years to see any health issues, we decided to go with the nickle-lined copper mugs.
Tips for Making a Moscow Mule
- Use high quality vodka and fresh squeezed lime juice
- Select a ginger beer that you like (they have different degrees of spiciness)
- Start with a smaller amount of vodka and add more to your liking
- Don’t be afraid to get creative and add fruit or garnishes to your Moscow Mule. It’s a great summer cocktail which can be created on the spot at parties! See the recipe below!
Moscow Mule Alternatives
One of our favorite variations is the Mexican Mule which means you swap the vodka for tequila. There’s also the Kentucky Mule which substitutes bourbon for the vodka.
Another variation on the traditional Moscow Mule recipe is to add in fruit or juices… think blackberries, pineapple, peaches, grapefruit, or watermelon. We added a splash of our famous homemade Blackberry liquor and created a Blackberry Moscow Mule!!! Oh my gosh, everyone was fighting over those.
Another route to go is to add in your favorite fresh herbs or veggies like basil, cilantro, lavender or cucumber.
And of course, you can always add bitters or jalapeno to your traditional Moscow Mule if you want to spice things up a bit.
Here’s the Moscow Mule Recipe:
Moscow Mule Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Fill a copper mug with ice. Add vodka and lime juice. Then fill to the top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wedge and mint.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Great recipe and love all the tips. Can’t wait to use your recipe and test it out tonight!