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Moscow Mule
A vodka highball with ginger beer and lime served over ice in a copper mug.
Base spirit
Vodka
Style
Classic
Glassware
Copper mug
Technique
Build
The Moscow Mule is a refreshing vodka highball built on spicy ginger beer and fresh lime juice. Vodka contributes clean backbone and strength, while ginger beer supplies heat, sweetness, and bubbles. Lime juice pulls the drink into balance with acidity and a bright aroma. Traditionally served over ice in a copper mug, it is easy-drinking and highly adaptable to flavored variations.
Did you know?
“The Moscow Mule took shape in Los Angeles in the 1940s, tied to a collaboration between Smirnoff vodka‚Äôs American distributors and the Cock ‚Äôn‚Äô Bull bar, which produced a spicy ginger beer. Marketing campaigns featuring copper mugs and photo ops helped push both vodka and the drink across the United States. Wondrich and other cocktail historians point to the Mule as a major driver in popularizing vodka in mid-century America. Modern variations swap in other base spirits, but the vodka, ginger beer, and lime template remains the core.”
Source:Cock ’n’ Bull and Smirnoff brand histories; Wondrich, Imbibe!; mid-century American cocktail histories
Bartender's Note
Use a ginger beer with real spice and avoid over-diluting; build directly in the mug with plenty of ice and fresh lime.
Missing a bottle? See smart swaps in Learn.
How to make the Moscow Mule
- 1Fill a chilled copper mug with ice
- 2Add vodka and fresh lime juice over the ice
- 3Top with chilled ginger beer
- 4Give a brief stir to combine
- 5Garnish with a lime wheel and optional mint sprig and serve
