Not only is the Moscow Mule one of the most popular cocktails, 2016 marks the 75th anniversary of the drink, a summer-appropriate tipple made with vodka, ginger beer and lime, usually served in a copper mug.
So, where did the drink come from?
A few versions of the story exist, but the most appealing is that the drink was invented in Los Angeles—a far cry from Moscow—at the Cock ‘n’ Bull Pub in 1941. There, head bartender Wes Price had a surplus of Cock ‘n’ Bull brand ginger beer he needed to unload. Meanwhile, booze executive John G. Martin of food and spirits distributor Heublein, who had recently acquired the Smirnoff Vodka brand (an American-made vodka), was a regular at the bar, where he puzzled aloud over how to sell more vodka.
The last piece of the puzzle, according to Moscow Copper Co. Russian immigrant Sophie Berezinski, whose father owned and operated a copper factory back in Russia, was when she fortuitously wandered into the Cock ‘n’ Bull pub “at just the right time, on just the right day,” in 1941, with a supply of 2,000 copper vessels to sell. There, she met Price and Martin, and the three of them devised the drink.
Spirited debates about the origin story aside, the drink quickly became a favorite with Hollywood stars in the 1940s, but then nearly became a casualty of the Cold War in the 1950s, as anti-Soviet sentiment threatened to reverse vodka’s gains with the public. Bartenders even paraded down New York’s 5th Avenue with a banner that protested, “Down With the Moscow Mule!” Yet, all that negative publicity only served to boost demand for the drink, which continues to be popular today.
In honor of the cocktail’s 75th anniversary, here are 5 creative modern-day takes on the beloved Moscow Mule.
Recipe courtesy beverage director Tyler Ott, Ox & Son, Santa Monica, California
This streamlined, low-alcohol mule uses amber vermouth instead of vodka, which Ott says “imparts an herbal quality that plays beautifully off of the spicy ginger beer and fresh lime.”
- 2 ounces Sutton Cellars Brown Label Vermouth
- ½ ounce lime juice
- Ginger beer
- Lime wedge, for garnish
In a rocks glass, stir together vermouth and lime juice over ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lime wedge.
Recipe courtesy bartender Mike Jones, Sable Kitchen & Bar, Chicago
“This is a light and refreshing beer cocktail (reminiscent of a shandy) inspired by a classic Moscow Mule,” Jones explains. “The smokiness of the mezcal is balanced by the honey, while the cucumbers add a refreshing balance to the ginger.”
- 3 cucumber slices
- 1 ounce Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
- 1 ounce Corralejo Reposado Tequila
- ¾ ounce ginger syrup (such as The Ginger People Organic Ginger Syrup)
- ½ ounce honey syrup (stir together 2 parts honey to 1 part hot water)
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- Miller High Life beer
- Cucumber ribbon, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber slices. Add mezcal, Tequila, ginger and honey syrups, lime juice and ice. Shake well, and strain into a pilsner glass over fresh ice. Top with beer. Garnish with cucumber ribbon.
Recipe courtesy head bartender Brandon Lockman, Red Star Tavern, Portland, Oregon
A cross between two classic cocktails—the Tequila-spiked paloma and the Moscow Mule—the end result is remarkably refreshing.
- 1½ ounces blanco Tequila
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce grapefruit juice
- ¾ ounce agave nectar
- Ginger beer (2–3 oz)
- Lime peel, for garnish
Combine the first four ingredients in a highball glass over ice and stir; top with ginger beer. Garnish.
Recipe Adapted from The Back Room, New York City
Is this drink a Moscow Mule, or a Ramos gin fizz? In truth, it’s a little of both, creating a rich, creamy hybrid with a frothy cap that’s a fizz signature.
- 2 ounces Fair Vodka
- ¾ ounce cream
- ¾ ounce egg white
- ½ ounce cinnamon syrup
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- Soda water, to top
- Candied ginger, for garnish
Combine the vodka, cream, egg white, syrup and lime juice in a blender with ice. Blend for one minute and pour into a highball glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger and serve with a straw.
Recipe courtesy Butcher and the Rye, Pittsburgh
In this variation on the Mule, ginger beer gets plenty of extra kick from jalapeño and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
- 1 ½-thick wheel of fresh jalapeño pepper
- 2 ounces vodka
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- ¾ ounces ginger syrup
- 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Ginger beer
- 1 dash cayenne pepper, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the jalapeño slice. Add vodka, lime juice, ginger syrup, bitters and ice. Shake well, and strain into a copper mug over fresh ice. Top off with ginger beer and garnish with cayenne pepper on top.
1Ox Mule
2Misunderstood
3Paloma Mule
4Ramos Mule
5Nauti-Mule
Kara Newman reviews spirits and writes about spirits and cocktail trends for Wine Enthusiast. She’s the author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., NIGHTCAP: More than 40 Cocktails to Close Out Any Evening and Cocktails With a Twist, released August 2019. Email: spirits@wineenthusiast.net
