The Moscow Mule has surged in popularity in recent years. Look around your local pub or bar and you’re bound to see someone sipping on this deliciously icy cocktail, if it’s not you yourself!
It’s not difficult to figure out what makes this a favourite tipple for so many. A Moscow Mule is an alcoholic drink made with vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and lots of crushed ice. Fresh, bright and easy to drink, this cocktail is a great choice for any occasion. And because it contains ginger, it can also help to settle your stomach and relieve nausea, which can sometimes come in handy on a night out.
Make your own Moscow Mule at home with a copper mug
But you can enjoy them just as easily at home, too! Making a Moscow Mule with your own equipment comes with a major advantage that you can’t often find at public drinking spots. You can serve it as the Mule was originally intended: in a copper mug!
While the iconic copper mugs do make Moscow Mule drinkers look cool as a signature feature of this drink, they also serve a practical purpose. The copper exterior of the mug quickly takes on the cold temperature of the drink, helping to keep the cocktail chilled for much longer periods, which is especially handy in hotter weather. As condensation forms on the outside of the shiny mug, it makes it known to all who see it that this is one seriously cool beverage, reminiscent of what you’d expect a drink to look like in, say, Moscow!
If you’re using a traditional all-copper mug, without any additional metal lining on the inside, the copper interacts with the acid in the lime for an extra layer of flavour, while also creating more bubbles in the ginger beer. While this might highlight the sweet-and-spicy taste of the beverage, there are concerns about the health risks of any copper leeching into the drink, which has led to most preferring to use mugs lined with stainless steel or nickel.
The more Mules, the merrier
The fun doesn’t have to stop at the classic Moscow Mule. There are now so many variations of this drink, the next favourite being the Russian Mule. These two drinks are often confused, but a Russian Mule is usually made with gin instead of vodka. Likewise, a Mexican Mule is made with tequila, a Kentucky Mule is made with bourbon, and an Irish Mule is made with – wait for it – Irish Whiskey.
Why not host a Make Your Own Mule party and try these out for yourself. Or discover a new variation with other alcohol and liqueur from around the world!
Moscow Mule
Ingredients
- 50 ml vodka
- 15 ml lime juice
- 1 bottle ginger beer chilled
Instructions
- Half fill a Moscow Mule mug with crushed ice, then add the vodka and lime juice
- Top with the ginger beer and a few ice cubes
- Garnish with a slice of lime on the edge of the mug and a sprig of mint
This handcrafted 25-piece copper-plated cocktail set is everything you need to make your own Moscow Mules at home.
Made from food-grade stainless steel, this set includes a cocktail shaker, 4 mugs, 4 straws, 4 cocktail picks, a straw cleaner, 4 coasters, a strainer, tongs, muddler, stirrer and jigger.