Cranberry Moscow Mule
This festive cranberry Moscow mule combines the crisp refreshing taste of ginger beer with the bite of cranberry vodka and the sweetness of cranberry juice.
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Table of Contents
- About Cranberry Moscow Mule
- What is a moscow mule?
- What type of vodka should you use?
- How to measure this drink
- What are the exact measurements for one drink?
- Notes & tips for this cranberry Moscow mule
- More great drink recipes
- Other recipes with cranberry
- How to make a cranberry Moscow mule
- Recipe Details
About Cranberry Moscow Mule
With its classicly crisp fizziness and picturesque look, these cranberry Moscow Mules capture everything that’s delicious about the classic drink and make it better.
From the spicy ginger beer to the punch of vodka to the flavor melody of cranberry and lime, this cocktail is a must-make for any chilly holiday night.
What is a moscow mule?
Traditionally, Moscow Mules are a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. A flavor-infused Moscow Mule (like this one) will typically use flavored vodka and a touch of fruit juice that complements the ginger and citrus from the base drink.
And in most cases, you can identify a Moscow Mule by the glass: it’s typically served in a copper mug. Rumor has it that this was an aesthetic choice at the time, but copper is actually very good at conducting temperature, meaning that Moscow Mules (or any drink) served in these cups will stay chilly for much longer.
As far as its history, the Moscow Mule originated in New York City’s Chatham Hotel in 1941, by John “Jack” Morgan, the owner of the Hollywood Cock’n Bull Restaurant. Together with John Martin, the two developed the cocktail in order to help sell their respective products: Morgan made ginger beer and Martin had recently purchased the Smirnoff vodka company. The name was chosen due to the American tendency to associate vodka with Russia, and the “mule” part comes from the ginger beer having a “kick” of flavor.
What type of vodka should you use?
When picking your vodka, aim for ones that are infused with cranberry, lime, or citrus. They’ll do the best job of complimenting the flavors of the cranberry juice and ginger beer.
For the quality and price point of the vodka, feel free to pick whatever works best for you. In most cases, you don’t want to use top-shelf spirits in mixed drinks (unless you have one you really love) – those are best saved for sipping on their own. Mixed drinks are all about combining the essence of the flavors, which you can easily get with mid-shelf brands that don’t break the bank.
How to measure this drink
The instructions for this drink are written like a standard drink recipe, meaning that instead of an exact measurement (ex: 1 cup) the recipe will read “1 part.”
This can sometimes be a little confusing, but I’ve found the best way to think of it as this:
Recipes that measure in parts usually mean it’s written so that you can adjust the size of the drink to whatever you want and the measurements they give you (1 part, 1/2 part, etc) are so you can keep the ratio of the ingredients correct.
For example, let’s say you wanted to make one drink – this typically means you’re using 1 standard shot glass for measuring. So then when the recipe says “1 part” you would interpret that amount as “1 standard shot glass” full. If the recipe says “1/2 part” you’d fill the shot glass halfway so that it’s “1/2 standard shot glass.” OR, let’s say you wanted to make enough drinks for a few friends. When making the drink you could interpret “1 part” as “1 cup” (or “1/2 part” to “1/2 cup.”)
This way the drink will taste the same no matter what size you make it.
What are the exact measurements for one drink?
In a hurry and want simple measurements for just one drink? No problem! Just use this as a guide:
- 1/2 ounce lime juice (optional)
- 1 1/2 ounce cranbery vodka
- 1 1/2 ounce cranberry juice
- 3 ounce ginger beer, or enough to finish filling a metal mule cup
- cranberries, rosemary, or lime for garnish (optional)
You can also select “Metric” measurements in the recipe card below to see these numbers.
Notes & tips for this cranberry Moscow mule
- This recipe calls for using cranberry juice, which will give this drink the sweetly tart taste that’s trademark of a cranberry. If you’d like something sweeter, you could use cranberry fruit juice cocktail, cran-grape juice, or you could even add a splash of simple syrup.
More great drink recipes
Other recipes with cranberry
How to make a cranberry Moscow mule
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Fill a copper Moscow mule mug (or similar glass) with ice.
Step 2 – Pour in the lime juice, cranberry vodka, and cranberry juice, then top with ginger beer (either to the rim of the glass or to taste).
Step 3 – Garnish with fresh or frozen cranberries, a sprig of rosemary, and lime wedges.
Step 4 – Serve and enjoy!
Cranberry Moscow Mule
Ingredients
- 3 part cranberry vodka, or citrus or lime vodka
- fresh or frozen cranberries, for garnish (optional)
- sprig of rosemary, for garnish (optional)
- lime, cut into wedges, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a copper mule mug or similar-sized glass with ice.
- Pour in cranberry vodka and cranberry juice, then top with ginger beer until glass is full (or to taste). Gently stir with a spoon, stirring stick, or straw.
- Serve immediately with fresh or frozen cranberries, a sprig of rosemary, or lime edges as garnish (all optional).
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
