Moscow Mule Recipe – Classic Drink with Limes Vodka & Ginger Beer

Want a strong drink that tastes great? Look no further than my Classic Moscow Mule Recipe. Click here for the recipe and history behind this amazing drink!

Making a classic Moscow Mule

This drink, guys.  This is what dreams are made of.  I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good Moscow Mule!  I’ll let you in on a secret… out of all the liquors I could choose from, Vodka is NOT my first choice.  

I’m definitely a whiskey and scotch girl, but even though I’m not a die hard vodka fan, I love this classic Moscow Mule recipe!

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The ingredients for a Moscow Mule cocktail:

Not only is this Moscow Mule delicious, but it’s super easy to make too!  The only ingredients you need are ice, ginger beer, fresh limes and a high quality vodka. but it’s not just any vodka and any ginger beer, as  you will find out.

One of the things I love about making cocktails is the realization that they are pretty darn easy to put together as you will see.

The vodka: 

Since there are so few ingredients in this drink, it really makes sense to go for quality ones!  The type of vodka you choose is the most important choice you can make in this drink.  

One of the main reasons I’m not vodka’s biggest fan is because I normally have terrible headaches the next morning after drinking it.  However, that was when I was drinking low quality vodka.

I find that if I stick to a reputable brand like Kettle One Vodka my “vodka-headaches” are few and far between!

The ginger beer & lime: 

I like most brands of ginger beer pretty evenly, but I find myself always grabbing Bundaberg Ginger Beer if I have a choice.  I just think it is very well balanced.  It’s not too sweet, or too gingery.  

And I think this goes without saying too, but using fresh limes instead of bottled lime juice or flavoring will add to the flavor of this drink.  I personally like to use a lemon-lime squeezer to yield the most juice from the limes.  It just takes all of the work out of the entire juicing process!  

I first used a lemon-lime squeezer in my recipe for Homemade Lemonade and fell in love!

The history behind the Moscow Mule Recipe: 

Moscow Mules are traditionally served in a copper mug, because when they were first invented that is how they were served.  

In 1941, John G. Martin had acquired ownership of Smirnoff Vodka which was – at the time – a very unpopular drink.  He was talking to Jack Morgan, the owner of a British style pub named Cock ‘n’ Bull in Los Angeles, lamenting about how he couldn’t move the spirit.  

Jack chimed in that his ginger beer was also very unpopular.  They had heard of another inventor, Sophie Berezinski, who couldn’t move the copper mugs she made.  So they combined all of those products and made an inventive drink that would popularize all of the goods!  

While John G. Martin and Jack Morgan take credit for the invention of the drink, the head bartender (Wes Price) at Cock ‘n’ Bull says he was the one who actually developed the recipe.

Whoever the creator is, I want to thank them, because due to their creativity, the Moscow Mule was born.

The copper mugs: 

I recently got a set of four  Copper Mugs and I was dying to try them out.  I have wanted to share this amazing recipe for a while now, but it just felt wrong to do it in a glass other than a copper mug!  

I love the history behind the recipe, and wanted to do it justice by serving it in it’s traditional barware!  Another reason, beyond this history, for why I love these copper mugs is because they keep the drink they hold SO cold.

 I like to sip on these mules slowly, and they never turn warm because the copper mugs keep them so chilled!  Plus they hold 16 oz – that’s the equivalent of a pint of beer!

The preparation for the drink:

Now that we’ve talked about the quality of ingredients and the history behind this amazing drink, I bet you’re ready to try it!  

You just take your copper mugs and fill them with ice.  Add the vodka, fresh lime and top with ginger beer.  Stir the drink gently and garnish with a lime, and you’re ready to go!  It’s that easy.

The fresh icy taste of this classic Moscow mule is perfect for the summer heat.  Be sure to also check out these summer peach cocktails too.

And if you are in the mood for something nonalcoholic, try my topical mocktail. It is one of my top recipes!

Cheers to all you lovely readers!  I hope you enjoy this Classic Moscow Mule Recipe!

Pin this classic Moscow Mule Recipe for later.

Would you like a reminder of this icy cold cocktail? Just pin this image to one of your cocktail boards on Pinterest.

And remember, as always, drink responsibly!

Admin note: This post first appeared on the blog in March of 2016. I have updated the post with some new photos and a printable recipe card.

Yield: 1

Classic Moscow Mule

Print

The classic Moscow mule is made from vodka, ginger beer and limes. Serve it in a copper mug to hold in the icy goodness.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz high quality vodka
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 5 oz ginger beer

Instructions

1. Start by filling your copper mugs with ice
2. add 1/2 oz lime juice (about half a lime fully squeezed)
3. add 2 oz vodka
4. top with 5 oz ginger beer
5. Notes: if you want a really strong drink you can up this recipe to 1/2 oz lime juice, 3 oz vodka and 6 oz ginger beer. But beware, it'll hit you before you know it!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 0gSugar: 20gProtein: 0g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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