MOSCOW MULE KNOWLEDGE – HISTORY AND FUTURE
Every year, our culture develops an affinity for a unique set of fads. In 2017, we have been particularly fond of Kylie Jenner lip kits, velvet jumpsuits, and unicorn everything.
Personally, we could do without some of these bizarre trends. The one popular trend, though, that is definitely here to stay is our favorite drink…the Moscow Mule!
If you don’t know already, the Original Moscow Mule was created when a floundering vodka distillery owner named John Martin, a man with too much ginger beer named Jack Morgan, and a woman who couldn’t sell her 2,000+ copper mugs named Sophie Berezinski, met up at the famous Cock ‘n’ Bull Pub.
In an effort to find a way to sell their products, they mixed various concoctions together in Sophie’s copper mugs until they stumbled on the perfect mixture of ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice. It was that day that the Moscow Mule was born, and it was a hit!
Over the last few decades, this historic drink made its way from occasional bar menu item to a must-have “night out on the town” drink.
It’s become so popular, in fact, that bartenders around the world are adding their own twist to the cocktail recipe, leaving mule lovers with thousands of recipe options to purchase at a bar or mix up in their homes.
You can find a handful of these Moscow Mule recipes on our website.
Or if you want access recipes from around the world, you can purchase our new Mulehead recipe book that contains 75 unique mule variations from talented bartenders around the world.
But, bars are not the only place adding this historic drink to the menu…
Believe it or not, Starbucks–yes, the coffee shop–added a Moscow Mule-inspired mocktail to their menu not long ago. Which is very impressive as it’s not often a coffee shop will go out of their way to craft a cocktail-inspired drink to please customers.
The next time you visit a store near you, forget ordering your “triple, venti, half-sweet, non-fat, soy milk, caramel macchiato, with whipped cream made from the milk of Norwegian unicorns,” and instead order a mock Moscow Mule.
We promise…that’s a choice that will make both you and your barista happy.
The Moscow Mule is also making a name for itself outside of the bar and restaurant scene. This fresh and tangy beverage has been in high demand at sporting events across the country.
It’s actually so frequently requested that the Nationals Baseball Park recently adopted the menu item and will be serving this refreshing beverage in the concession stands for all baseball lovers (age 21 and up) that visit the park this baseball season.
Last, but not least, we’ve noticed a lot of exciting online search trends regarding the Moscow Mule.
The graph below contains data from 2013 to 2017–information that was pulled from Google Trends.
The blue line indicates the number of times people have searched the term “Moscow Mules” online.
It’s very exciting to see that the Moscow Mule line is showing a steady incline–a trend we believe will continue to grow as people search for recipes and information about this delicious drink.
Even more exciting is the data behind the most popular at-home cocktail searches.
Check out this interesting information provided by just-drinks.com…
“In the first half of 2016, the Moscow Mule was in ‘a near dead-heat’ with the margarita as the most popular at-home cocktail in the US. The Moscow Mule has seen its at-home consumption share grow from 3.1% in the second quarter of 2014 to 8.4% in the corresponding quarter of 2016.
Over the same period, the margarita lost [its] share of all drinks made at home, dropping from a peak of 10% in Q2 2014 to 8.9% in Q2 2016.
Vodka is the number one at-home spirit base, accounting for a 31.3% consumption share in the second quarter of 2016. The Moscow Mule has now replaced the cosmopolitan as the leading vodka-based cocktail. In addition, the report includes detailed analysis by region [and] city and breaks down consumption by day of the week and even time of day.”
This is incredibly impressive, and we are elated to see the Moscow Mule giving the margarita a run for its money!
As mule lovers, we’re so excited to see the popularity of this beloved cocktail continue to skyrocket. And we certainly hope that the world’s newfound love for Moscow Mules sticks around for decades to come.
Today jean jackets, chokers, and Pokémon are just as popular as they were in the 90s…and we have a feeling the Moscow will be just as loved, if not more loved, in the years to come!
Ready to make the Moscow Mule a staple beverage in your life? Learn more about everything Mule below…
Read all about the humble beginnings of the Moscow Copper mug and recipe.
Check out our favorite Moscow Mule recipes.
Grab an Original Moscow Mule mug for you and your friends.
