Moscow Mule recipe
Vodka, lime juice and ginger beer, stirred over ice in a copper mug, garnished with a lime wedge.
By Kris Barton · Updated - 2 mins total
- 4 ingredients
- Copper mug
Looking for the perfect Moscow Mule recipe? Don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered!
In this article I’m going to go deep on the Moscow Mule. You’re gonna learn:
- How to make a great Moscow Mule.
- Where the cocktail came from (allegedly).
- And a whole lot more.
Let’s dive right in.
Moscow Mule history
Before I get into the Moscow Mule recipe, I wanna talk a little bit about the history of the Moscow Mule. Why? Because it’s really quite interesting.
The Moscow Mule is thought to have been invented at some point in 1941, nowhere near Moscow…
…or anywhere in Russia, for that matter.
It was actually invented in a British bar in Hollywood, California.
Like a lot of great inventions, this fantastic concoction was created by chance and an abundance of readily available (and poor-selling) ingredients.
…Wait.
Vodka? Poor-selling?
…At the time, it was.
The key players
Let me first give you a taste of the main players, as this tale is about to get as murky as heavily polluted canal water:
- John G. Martin. He was an executive at G.F. Heublein Brothers, a company that specialised in distributing spirits and food to the East Coast. His company had bought the rights to Smirnoff Vodka back in 1938.
- Rudolph Kunett. President of Pierre Smirnoff, the vodka division at G.F. Heublein Brothers.
- Jack Morgan. He was the owner of a British bar in Hollywood, the Cock ‘n’ Bull. He was also trying to push his own brand of ginger beer and had gallons of the stuff ready to go.
- Sophie Berezinski. A Russian immigrant who came to the US with 2,000 copper mugs. Her father owned a copper company and couldn’t sell the copper mugs back home, so she wanted to try her luck in the USA.
- Osalene Schmitt. Morgan’s girlfriend and a copper manufacturer.
- Wes Price. The head bartender at the Cock ‘n’ Bull at the time of the invention.
The story: version 1
One version of the story suggests that John G. Martin, Rudolph Kunett and Jack Morgan were drinking together one day (there’s no information on how they met, though I think we can assume through business dealings) trying to figure out how to sell vodka to Americans.
Vodka just wasn’t as popular as beer. Whiskey and other cocktails overshadowed the Russian spirit, and Kunett was in a bind.
So they got together to hash it out, and the idea to combine the vodka and the ginger beer naturally came together.
The story: version 2
Another version is very similar. The only difference in this story is that Sophie Berezinski also enters the bar during the brainstorming session, looking to sell her copper mugs. Apparently, she joined their conversation (and boozing) and 3 hours later the stars aligned and the Moscow Mule was truly born.
Sounds a little too good to be true to me, but it is also backed up by the Moscow Copper company that Sophie Berezinski’s father founded.
In Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book, the story suggests that the copper mugs actually came from a girlfriend of Morgan who manufactured them, and that’s how they became so associated with the cocktail.
A more accepted story came to light in 2007, when Eric Felton from the Wall Street Journal wrote a piece suggesting that the Moscow Mule was actually created by Wes Price, the head bartender at the Cock ‘n’ Bull.
According to Price, “I just wanted to clean out the basement. I was trying to get rid of a lot of dead stock. The first one I mixed was served to actor Broderick Crawford and it then caught on like wildfire.”
See, I told you it was interesting.
Moscow Mule in a copper cup
Based on the origins of the Moscow Mule (as explained above), a copper cup has always been associated with the cocktail through circumstance.
Either Sophie Berezinski wandered into the bar and helped craft the cocktail, or Morgan’s girlfriend was able to get hold of a lot of copper cups cheaply.
Whatever happened, the copper cup seems to have been heavily involved in the creation of the vodka cocktail and has been associated with it ever since.
Why a copper cup?
Other than a copper cup manufacturer being in the right place at the right time when the Moscow Mule was created, does the copper cup actually do anything?
The company founded by the Berezinski family suggests that the copper cup actually has three main benefits:
- It helps keep the cocktail cold.
- It enhances the taste of the cocktail.
- It improves the cocktail’s aroma.
But I think copper cups are still used because they’ve been iconic and associated with the Moscow Mule since its creation.
For a copper mug, we recommend:
Now let’s take a look at the Moscow Mule recipe.
How to make a Moscow Mule
You only need three ingredients: vodka, freshly squeezed lime juice and ginger beer (the fierier, the better: we recommend Old Jamaica). The measures and method are in the recipe card below.
If you’re unsure which vodka to use for your Moscow Mule, check out our best vodka for cocktails guide. We compared different vodkas on value for money, bestsellers, ratings and brand reputation to produce a pretty definitive recommendation.
Further reading
In researching the rich and interesting history of the Moscow Mule, I used the following sources:
- proof.media/history-of-the-moscow-mule
- liquor.com/articles/behind-the-drink-the-moscow-mule
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_mule
- moscowcopper.com/pages/our-story
- b105country.com/why-is-it-called-a-moscow-mule-and-served-in-a-copper-cup
- tastingtable.com/693143/difference-between-ginger-beer-and-ginger-ale
Looking for more inspiration? Try the Jamaican Mule, the rest of our mule cocktails, or all of our cocktail recipes.
…Now, let’s get back to the Moscow Mule recipe.
What Ingredients do you need to make a Moscow Mule?
Vodka
We compared 12 different brands of Vodka and determined that Smirnoff was the overall best option. Given the current climate with Russia, that may seem like a questionable choice, but Smirnoff isn’t made in Russia, it’s made all over the world.
It actually has a history of Russian persecution and the creators were forced to flee Russia.
Ginger Ale vs Ginger Beer
Ginger Beer and Ginger Ale are two very different beverages.
Well, they both have Ginger flavouring, but they each have a completely different taste.
The difference between them is that Ginger Beer is brewed and fermented, whilst Ginger Ale is actually flavoured carbonated water.
This makes Ginger Beer stronger and contains a slightly spicy finish and after taste.
For Ginger Beer, we recommend:
For Ginger Ale, we recommend:
What Equipment do you need to make a Moscow Mule?
Jigger
It’s important to get the mix of any cocktail right. The measurements are set for a reason – to specify a tried, tested, and tasty drink.
A jigger is going to help you get those perfect measurements – after all, it is what the pros use.
For a jigger, we recommend:
Bar Spoon
Bar Spoons are great for cocktails you’re supposed to stir, rather than shake in a cocktail shaker.
Sure, you can probably use any spoon to stir your drink but these bar spoons are the real deal. It’s the proper equipment to get the job right.
- They’re long enough to get to the bottom of any cocktail to allow you to properly stir.
- They have a twist spiral design that allows for a better grip.
- They’re made out of stainless steel, so they’re durable, corrosion resistant, and easy to clean.
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Recipe card
Moscow Mule
- Prep
- 1 min
- Making
- 1 min
- Total
- 2 mins
- Serves
- 1
- Glass
- Copper mug
Ingredients
Makes 1 drink.
Method
- Add ice to a copper mug.
- Use a jigger to measure the vodka, lime juice and ginger beer into the copper mug.
- Gently stir with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Want more like this? Browse our full collection of mules.
Moscow Mule FAQs
How was the Moscow Mule invented?
Stories vary, but it’s thought to have been invented in 1941 at the Cock ‘n’ Bull, a British bar in Hollywood, California, nowhere near Moscow. In one version, John G. Martin, whose company had bought the rights to Smirnoff Vodka, was drinking with the bar’s owner, Jack Morgan, who had too much ginger beer in his cellar. Combining the two was an obvious step. In 2007 the Wall Street Journal credited the bar’s head bartender, Wes Price, who said he “just wanted to clean out the basement”.
Why is a Moscow Mule served in a copper mug?
A Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug because it has been since the day it was invented. Either Sophie Berezinski walked into the bar with copper mugs to sell, or Jack Morgan’s girlfriend made them. The Moscow Copper company says copper keeps the drink cold and improves its taste and aroma. It doesn’t have to be in a copper mug, but it’s traditional.
When did the Moscow Mule become popular?
It seems to have caught on in 1948, when it was mentioned in the New York Herald Tribune. But Wes Price said the first one he mixed went to the actor Broderick Crawford “and it then caught on like wildfire”, so it may have been popular in Hollywood from 1941 and taken until 1948 to reach the East Coast.
Why is it called a Moscow Mule?
When it was invented, the word most associated with vodka was Moscow, because vodka is Russian and Moscow is the capital. The Mule part comes from the kick of the fiery ginger beer.
Do you shake a Moscow Mule?
You can, but you don’t need to. A Moscow Mule is built straight in the copper mug: add ice, vodka, lime juice and ginger beer, then gently stir with a bar spoon.
Which ginger beer is best for a Moscow Mule?
The fierier, the better. Old Jamaica is good and so is Bundaberg. If fiery ginger beer isn’t your thing, try Fentimans.
Can you use ginger ale instead of ginger beer in a Moscow Mule?
You can, but it’s a bad idea: the cocktail loses its kick. Ginger beer is brewed and fermented, which makes it stronger with a slightly spicy finish, whereas ginger ale is flavoured carbonated water.
How strong is a Moscow Mule?
Not very. Vodka is the only alcohol, and there’s 50ml / 1.7oz of it in our recipe. The fiery ginger beer packs quite a kick, though.
What Ingredients do you need to make a Moscow Mule?
To make a Moscow Mule, you need 50ml / 1.7oz vodka, 10ml / 0.3oz lime juice and 120ml / 4.1oz ginger beer, plus lime wedge to garnish. There’s more about vodka and ginger ale and ginger beer above.
How do you garnish a Moscow Mule?
Garnish a Moscow Mule with a lime wedge.
How do I make a Moscow Mule for a group?
The recipe makes one drink. Multiply every measure by the number of drinks you want: for 4, you’d need 200ml vodka, 40ml lime juice and 480ml ginger beer.
