The Moscow Mule
In 1941, Sophie Berezinkski spent hours with the fellas at Cock’n Bull concocting the perfect drink for her pure copper mugs. After much testing, mixing, and tasting, the Moscow Mule was born.
This drink contained essential ingredients–vodka, ginger beer, and limes–all of which are vital to creating the cold, fizzy, refreshing, and sometimes even electrifying taste of the traditional Moscow Mule.
From that day on, bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts from around the world have been putting their own spin on the classic beverage.
Vodka
An Essential Element for the Perfect Moscow Mule
The mere name evokes the sound of ice clinking and paints a picture of people dressed to the nines in a classy bar. For Moscow Mule drinkers, it also means the taste of a sophisticated cocktail. But what exactly makes the perfect Mule vodka?
Keep reading to find out…
Why Is Vodka So Important?
The ingredient vodka does far more than just add a smooth, bold, traditional taste to a Moscow Mule. On top of providing flavor, it’s an essential element in cooling down your beverage when added to a copper mug with ice.
This property ensures an ice-cold, refreshing drink every time.
What Vodka Should Go in Your Moscow Mule?
You can use any vodka brand that suits your mood (and your pocketbook) as a base for your Moscow Mule. In fact, using a variety of different brands offers the potential to create a unique flavor profile in your drink.
We say try it all!
Ginger Beer
The next ingredient, ginger beer, gives a Moscow Mule its classic fizzy texture along with effervescence and spiciness–qualities that make this such a flavorful and distinctive drink.
Nothing beats the bold ginger flavors and fresh aromatics when a Moscow Mule is mixed just right. Here are a few flavor profiles you can get when using different types of ginger beers…
Spicy
Considered to be more of an artisanal style variety, Q Ginger Beer–made with real ginger–is crafted with quality ingredients. In addition to the ginger, you’ll notice flavorful notes of organic agave, coriander, cardamom, cayenne, rose oil, and orange peel.
Cock’n Bull Ginger Beer, originally developed by Jack Morgan, owner of the renowned Cock’n Bull Restaurant in Hollywood, the home of the original Moscow Mule, is still available today.
Strong & Bold
The classic Reed’s Jamaican-Style Ginger Beer is sweet and spicy with a strong ginger flavor that packs a punch.
Crafted using spring water and natural ingredients, Llanllyr Source Fiery Ginger Beer is a premium ginger beer made with gingers and spices that combine for an earthy base with a bold but balanced kick of spice.
Sweet
The traditional sweet Bundaberg Ginger Beer that contains a hint of ginger spice is a popular classic that is brewed in barrels in Australia. This ginger beer is housed in distinctive, stubby brown glass bottles with a tear-off metal lid. If you can’t find this brand, Gosling’s Ginger Beer is a great alternative with similar flavor properties.
Tangy
A line of artisanal, premium mixers out of the UK, Fever-Tree’s Ginger Beer is as elegant as it is exceptional, making it the ginger beer of choice for many bartenders. It’s made using two different types of ginger—a fresh, citrusy green ginger from Ecuador and a hot, earthy variety with origins in Nigeria. This gives the drink a uniquely balanced flavor profile, one that is spicy or tangy without being too peppery.
Cloudy
A great ginger beer variety with cloudy credibility is Seabold Ginger Beer. Handcrafted in small batches in Los Angeles, Seabold really puts the ginger front and center. Each batch is handmade and individually numbered. When they sell out, that’s it—there’s no more until the next batch is cooked up. It’s primarily available in the Los Angeles area at farmer’s markets and juice stores.
Fizzy
Stoli, the makers of premium vodka, has capitalized on the popularity of the Moscow Mule, and now also sells their own branded Stoli Premium Mixer Ginger Beer. Made with pure cane sugar, this ginger beer is described as well-balanced, with a spicy sweetness and with lots of carbonation for those who enjoy fizzy mules.
Bozzy
In the UK, ginger beer is brewed with an extra kick–alcohol. Boozy varieties include Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer, a refreshing, light-bodied ginger beer with a spicy, fresh ginger flavor, notes of citrus, and a warming finish, which offers the additional boost of 4.8% alc/vol.
Craft Concentrate
If you like DIY beverages, you can either make your own ginger beer at home or use a ginger beer concentrate. Top Hat Provisions based out of San Francisco has done just that. Their popular Ginger Beer is a craft concentrate that features quality ingredients of organic ginger extract, organic evaporated cane juice, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, citric acid, and filtered water. Mix with sparkling water or club soda at home, and strike the perfect balance of ginger and spice for your own taste.
A Hint of Lime Goes a Long Way
Last but not least, it’s essential that you finish your Moscow Mule off with a squeeze of lime–a trademark ingredient of the Original Moscow Mule.
This ingredient is vital to capturing the flavor profile of a Moscow Mule. As the lime is squeezed and stirred into your drink, copper citrate produces a mild flavor that masks metallic tones in your mug. This enhances the overall flavor of the mule–yum!
What Type of Lime Should You Use?
If you’re looking to add a little more of the old mule kick into your concoction, a key lime is the assertive way to go, with an acidic, tangy citrus bite that has slightly herbal undertones.
If, on the other hand, you’re into a milder bite, the Persian lime is less bitter and tends to please a broader range of palates. Not to mention, its larger size produces much more juice! Whichever lime you choose, you really can’t go wrong.
Let’s Make History
From the day of the Moscow Mule’s creation, lime has been an essential recipe ingredient. Without it, your Mule will lack traditional flavor tones. So, when you’re out at the store, don’t forget to pick up a bag of limes for the next time you mix a drink–Sophie would be proud!