Moscow Mule

It’s an old concoction, with a simple mix of vodka highlighted by ginger beer and freshly squeezed lime juice. The result is a beautifully clean and refreshing sip.

The creation of this cocktail can best be described as kismet. It started with 2000 copper mugs, a pub owner trying to promote his ginger beer and a struggling vodka company. In hopes of selling her wares,  a young woman named Sophie Berezinski traveled to the U.S. from Russia with the copper mugs she had designed and her father had stamped out in his copper company. It was 1941. Sophie stopped in a pub where she met the owner who was attempting to sell his ginger beer to his patrons. Working alongside him was his friend who happened to be the owner of a newly acquired vodka company, and no one at the time was interested in drinking vodka.

So with some mixing, stirring and testing the Moscow Mule was born. It truly is one of the simplest drinks to make. To mix one up start with a great vodka. One of our new favorites is Woody Creek Potato Vodka with its clean, light herbal notes. Add to that a bright, spicy ginger beer plus some freshly squeezed lime juice and give it a stir in a mug full of ice.

For mixing, use a quality ginger beer – which isn’t a beer at all but more of a bolder, spicier cousin of ginger ale. You want that delightful bite of ginger and spice in this cocktail.

The copper mug keeps the drink extraordinarily cold but, in a pinch, you can certainly use a cocktail glass. It’s a classic that’s been resurrected in recent years – its clean, crisp notes are on target any day of the year!

Moscow Mule

Ice

4 tablespoons good vodka

6 tablespoons ginger beer

1-½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, about ½ of a lime

Slices of lime for garnish

Fill copper mugs or highball glasses with ice. Pour in the vodka followed by the ginger beer.

Add the fresh lime juice and stir to blend.

Top with a slice of fresh lime. Makes one cocktail.