21 Best Moscow Mule Recipes To Upgrade Your Happy Hour

by Randy Woodward April 15, 2021

If you're a fan of refreshing cocktails with a spicy kick, then the Moscow Mule is a drink you don't want to miss. Originating in the 1940s, this classic cocktail has become a staple at bars and happy hours around the world. But what makes the Moscow Mule truly unique is the use of copper mugs, which not only add a touch of elegance to the drink but also help keep it ice-cold.

In this article, we'll share with you 21 of the best Moscow Mule recipes out there that are sure to take your happy hour to the next level. From traditional recipes to creative twists, there's something for every taste bud. So grab your copper mugs for Moscow Mule and let's get started!

Our Top Picks for the Best Moscow Mule Variations

Most Popular - Bourbon Mule
Most Flavorful - Garden Mule

Most Attractive - Hibiscus-Berry Mule

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1. Classic Moscow Mule Recipe

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Pour lime juice into a chilled glass with ice. Preferably use a Moscow mule pure copper mug , but a 10-11 oz. Highball glass will also work.
  2. Pour in the vodka.
  3. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger beer.
  4. Garnish with a lime wheel.

2. Jalapeño Moscow Mule (Kicking Mule)

The jalapeño mule is a good choice to beat the heat or bring a bit of tropical warmth to your midwinter hideaway. This Moscow mule variation adds the perfect hot-cool combination of mint and jalapeño to amplify the original recipe’s refreshing qualities.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Using a muddler , smash lime juice, fresh mint, and jalapeño slices in the bottom of a mixing glass.
  2. Add vodka.
  3. Add ice and shake well.
  4. Strain the mixture juice into your chilled copper mug filled with ice.
  5. Pour ginger beer over the vodka mixture .
  6. Garnish with a lime wedge, jalapeño slice, and sprig of mint, or any combination of the three.

3. Strawberry Moscow Mule Recipe

A joyful summertime treat mixed with alcohol. This Moscow mule recipe uses sweet strawberries that set off the ginger beer's spiciness amplified with a black pepper sprinkle.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Using a muddler, smash the strawberry slices with lime juice in a shaker tin.
  2. Add vodka.
  3. Add ice and shake well.
  4. Strain mixture into your chilled copper mug filled with ice.
  5. Pour ginger beer over the vodka mixture.
  6. Garnish with a strawberry.
  7. If you want to add a complex touch, finish the drink off with a couple of fresh black pepper cranks. This adds a deep flavor that brings out the slight sweetness of the strawberries.

4. Watermelon Mule Recipe

This Moscow mule recipe variant is so pretty in pink it might make Elle Woods jealous. It's bright, festive, and refreshing. And to top it off, all that watermelon means it's hydrating, so you can have as many as you want.

Ingredients

  • 4- 5 oz. Ginger beer
  • 1.5 oz. Vodka
  • 3 Watermelon chunks
  • ½ oz. Lime juice
  • A sprig of mint for garnish
  • Watermelon slice for garnish

How to Make

  1. Muddle the watermelon chunks and lime juice in a shaker tin .
  2. Add vodka.
  3. Add ice and shake well.
  4. Strain into a pure copper mug filled with ice.
  5. Pour ginger beer over vodka mixture until full.
  6. Garnish with a mint sprig and watermelon slice.

5. Pineapple Moscow Mule

Pineapple is the most popular tropical fruit because not only is it delicious, it is also very healthy and versatile to use. The vodka, ginger beer, lime juice, and pineapple juice combination are refreshing and a great drink, especially during the summer.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Fill a copper mug with ice.
  2. Add the vodka, pineapple juice, and lime juice.
  3. Top with ginger beer and stir.
  4. Garnish with a pineapple wedge, a ginger crystallized candy, and mint sprigs.

6. Georgia Mule Recipe (Peach and Ginger)

The reason ginger beer works so well for the Moscow mule is that it has a nice fiery kick that you just can't get with ginger ale . But sometimes even ginger beer isn't hot enough. When you find yourself longing for a southern-style combo, this peach and ginger-enhanced Moscow mule recipe is a perfect choice.

Ingredients

For the drink:

  • 4-5 oz. Ginger beer
  • 1.5 oz. Vodka
  • 1 oz. Ginger-peach puree
  • Fresh peach slices for garnish
  • Candied ginger for garnish

For the ginger-peach puree:

  • 2-3 Large ripe peaches (with thin slices for garnish reserved) pitted and cut in half
  • 1 One-inch piece of fresh ginger (skin removed)
  • ¼ cup Lemon juice
  • ¼ cup Water
  • 2 tbsp Honey (more to taste if peaches are tart)

How to Make

    1. Make the peach puree by adding all ingredients to the blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors as needed (ginger for more heat, peaches and honey for more sweetness, lemon juice for more sourness). Strain well using a fine strainer and discard all solids.
    2. Add the ginger-peach puree and vodka into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well.
    3. Strain the ginger-vodka mixture into a copper mug filled with ice.
    4. Pour ginger beer over the vodka mixture until the cup is full.
    5. Garnish with thin peach slices and candied ginger.

7. Holiday Cranberry Mule Recipe

There's a middle ground for the holiday traditionalists among us that's so good it hardly feels like a compromise. Cranberry juice, rosemary, and ginger beer make a holiday spice that is more seasonally appropriate than you'd expect.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Measure the vodka and cranberry juice with a jigger and pour them into a copper mug.
  2. Fill the copper mug with ice cubes and squeeze the lime into it.
  3. Top it off with ginger beer. Stir the drink with a bar spoon .
  4. Garnish with a handful of cranberries and rosemary.

8. Skinny Mule Recipe

A Moscow mule may be worth the calories , but sometimes we must give in to self-control. A low-sugar, low-calorie classic Moscow mule recipe doesn't have to be the fantasy of your late-night cravings.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Squeeze lime juice into a copper mug filled with ice.
  2. Add organic vodka.
  3. Fill the rest of the cup with ginger beer.
  4. Garnish with a half lime wheel.

9. Hibiscus-Berry Mule Recipe

Winter is long and often full of dark beer. By the time spring has sprung, we are ready for something fruity and floral. This bold, red Moscow mule recipe variation has a floral sweetness that drives away the deepest of winter blues.

Ingredients

For the hibiscus-berry syrup:

How to Make

To make the Hibiscus-Berry Syrup:

  1. Add hibiscus tea to hot water in a saucepan and steep for 5-10 minutes until the color is deep red.
  2. Remove hibiscus tea bags.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to a saucepan and mix well.
  4. Bring to a gentle boil by stirring and using a fork to help break down the berries.
  5. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn to low heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir regularly until the berries are completely disintegrated.
  6. Cool to room temperature, then strain into a glass container.

To make the cocktail:

  1. Combine the hibiscus-berry syrup, lime juice, and vodka in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well.
  2. Strain the hibiscus-vodka mixture into a copper mug filled with ice.
  3. Pour ginger beer over the vodka mixture until the mug is full.
  4. Garnish with edible flowers.

10. Pomegranate Mule Recipe

If the floral note of the hibiscus-berry mule isn’t your style, try this pomegranate Moscow mule recipe variation instead. It's just as bold and red but uses the tartness of pomegranate instead of floral hibiscus.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Combine pomegranate juice, vodka, and lime juice into a copper mug filled with ice.
  2. Pour ginger beer over the vodka mixture until the cup is full.
  3. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and a lime wedge.

11. Mule Driver (Orange and Ginger Combo)

This gingery cousin to the college-classic screwdriver is enough to drive away every bad memory you have of waking up hungover on a friend's couch. Delicious and refreshing, you can have this orange and ginger beer combo Moscow mule recipe any time of day.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Combine orange juice, vodka, and lime juice into a copper mug filled with ice.
  2. Pour ginger beer over the vodka mixture until the cup is full.
  3. Garnish with slices of orange and lime.

12. Kentucky Bourbon Mule

Nothing makes the Moscow mule a classic American darling than bourbon . Great bourbons are born in Kentucky and bred from the finest American corn. This Moscow mule recipe uses good Kentucky bourbon that compliments ginger beer with vanilla notes for an extra-boozy kick.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Combine bourbon and lime juice in a copper mug filled with ice.
  2. Top with ginger beer until the mug is full.
  3. Garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig.

13. Dark N Stormy

Another popular Moscow mule recipe variation, Dark and Stormy, combines ginger beer with rum's tropical flavor. The rum adds a bit of sweetness to the cocktail and mellows out the bright flavors, opting for a darker finish.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Combine rum and lime juice in a copper mug filled with ice.
  2. Top the rum off with ginger beer until the cup is full.
  3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

14. Gin Moscow Mule

Vodka and gin are very similar, but juniper berries give gin its slightly floral flavor. Adding gin to a Moscow mule recipe adds a subtle herbal-floral note complemented by the ginger beer.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Gently muddle the mint leaves to release the oils.
  2. Fill a beaker with ice, lime juice, gin, and ginger beer.
  3. Strain into a mule mug .
  4. Garnish with mint leaves.

15. Moscow Mule Jello Shots

Jello shots don't have to be the Kool-Aid flavored abominations of your younger years. This Moscow mule recipe variation elevates the classic party jello shots without sacrificing the fun and alcoholic punch.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Combine ginger beer and lime juice (and food coloring) in a small pan.
  2. Sprinkle gelatin over the surface and allow it to rest for 2 minutes as the gelatin activates.
  3. Warm the gelatin-ginger-beer mixture on medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Stir constantly and avoid allowing the mixture to boil.
  4. Remove from heat. Add and stir vodka into the mixture.
  5. Spray molds with nonstick oil.
  6. Pour the liquid mixture into the shot mold of your choice – ice cube trays, sample cups, mini-muffin tins, and sheet pans all work well.
  7. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) until the shots are set completely.
  8. Remove jello shots from the mold by either sliding around the edges with a thin knife or cutting them into the desired shape (if using a sheet pan).
  9. Keep the finished jello shots in the refrigerator and serve cold.

16. Mexican Tequila Mule

Much like the Kentucky mule, this rendition of the Mexico mule got its name from the region's native inebriant. As it turns out, tequila works quite nicely and puts a refreshing twist on the traditional Moscow mule recipe. You can also switch the vodka for some Camareña Family, Casamigos, Avion, or whatever tequila brand you prefer.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Mix and shake tequila, lime juice, and sugar syrup with ice.
  2. Strain the mixture into an ice-filled glass.
  3. Top it with ginger beer and stir.
  4. Garnish with a lemon wheel, jalapeño slices, and mint sprigs. Serve.

17. Garden Mule Recipe

This jazzed-up version of the mule calls for the vodka but also works well with gin or tequila. In addition to ginger beer and lime juice, this interpretation of the Moscow mule recipe requires some flavor-enhancing accouterments.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Take a cocktail shaker and put cucumber, 8 blueberries, and mint leaves in the bottom.
  2. Muddle until the whole concoction is crushed and appears juicy.
  3. Add ice, lime juice, and vodka.
  4. Shake for 10-15 seconds.
  5. Put ice in the copper mug and strain the liquid into it.
  6. Now, add ginger beer and 4 blueberries.
  7. Cut open the remaining 4 blueberries and candied ginger using a toothpick and use it alongside a sprig of mint.

18. Mint Moscow Mule Recipe

When you watch videos on how to make Moscow mules, this cocktail is presented with a sprig of mint leaves as a garnish. But mint is such a powerful ingredient that you can incorporate in the cocktail rather than mere decoration.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz. Vodka
  • 6-8 Mint leaves
  • 1 Whole fresh lime juice
  • 1 Sugar cube
  • 2 oz. Ginger beer
  • Crushed Ice
  • A sprig of mint leaves (for garnish)

How to Make

  1. In a copper mug , put in the sugar cube. Squeeze the lime with a citrus squeezer straight into the mug.
  2. Muddle the combined ingredients gently for about 5 seconds. Add the mint leaves and give it two twists with the muddler.
  3. Measure the vodka and ginger beer using a jigger and pour them into the copper mug.
  4. Stir the contents gently using a bar spoon . Then, add the crushed ice to the top of the mug.
  5. Finally, garnish it with a sprig of mint leaves.

19. Blueberry Moscow Mule Recipe

Instead of watermelon or strawberries, this Moscow mule recipe uses blueberries. This ingredient is a bit more complex than the other two since you have to prepare the blueberry syrup ahead of time.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Put the blueberries and vodka in a blender. They should be fully liquified.
  2. Pour mixture into a glass jar and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 week.
  3. Once your blueberry syrup is ready, use a strainer and pour the mixture into a barrel-style copper mug .
  4. Top it with crushed ice, lime juice, and ginger beer.
  5. Garnish with blueberries.

20. Cherry Moscow Mule Recipe

The Cherry Moscow mule recipe is made using ginger ale and vodka topped with some cherry juice and lime juice. If you prefer less sweetness, you can use tart cherry juice or regular beer, depending on your palette.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Divide the ginger ale along with ginger beer.
  2. Add some vodka to it and mix with lime juice and cherry juice.
  3. Serve it in 2 lowball glasses or copper mugs .
  4. Stir to combine.
  5. Add ice and serve with lime wedges.

21. Blood Orange and Pomegranate Syrup Moscow Mule

This version of the Moscow mule recipe contains blood orange and pomegranate juice. Considered as a fall wine or festive cocktail, you can garnish this mixture with sugar-coated cranberries and some rosemary.

Ingredients

How to Make

  1. Take a cocktail shaker and combine all the juices.
  2. Shake them well.
  3. Distribute them evenly over copper mugs along with ice.
  4. Add some ginger ale over the mixture.
  5. Garnish with blood orange and rosemary skewers.

Unconventional Moscow Mule Recipes

With every experimentation and progress comes both excellent and unexpected outcomes when creating cocktails. Listed below are some of the unique and amusing twists on the classic Moscow mule recipe that will surely surprise you!

  • Fast Canoe

Have you ever heard of Pandan? It's a Southeast Asian tropical fruit and delicious addition to the Moscow mule recipe. Partnered with the malt scotch whiskey Glenlivet, this dynamic duo might just be the unique mule flavor you're looking for.

  • Chipotle Moscow Mule

A feisty take on the mule, this version throws in chipotle, tequila, cilantro, and a bit of sugar to the original Moscow mule recipe.

  • Icelandic Mule

Have you thought of adding apple cider to your mule? It's possible, and it tastes great too. Use apple cider to replace the lime juice, and with the help of simple syrup, this version of the Mule mule recipe might just be legendary.

Watermelon is not the only pepo fruit that can add great flavor to the mule. The melon liqueur Midori can be used as a substitute for vodka, and adding a few mint leaves makes all the difference.

Ready-to-Drink Moscow Mule

Some of us can't always go to the bar or make our drinks at home. If you're craving a refreshing sip of Moscow mule, ready-made cans are now available, and you can buy them at stores near you. Here are our top choices for the best ready-to-drink Moscow mule.

  • Moscow Mule 2.0
  • Smirnoff Moscow Mule Vodka
  • Gingerhead Moscow Mule
  • Salt Point Moscow Mule
  • Punching Mule Moscow Mule
  • The Copper Can Moscow Mule
  • Two Brothers Moscow Mule
  • Blue Marble Cocktails Moscow Mule
  • Russian Standard Moscow Mule Ready-to-Drink Cocktail
  • Joia Spirit Sparkling Moscow Mule

Coming Up With Your Best Moscow Mule Recipe

Here are a few things to remember when making your own Moscow Mule recipe:

  • Take the original recipe as a reference

The classic Moscow mule recipe is made of ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice, but you don't always have to use these ingredients. You can use their counterparts; for example, ginger ale can be used in the absence of ginger beer, while lemon juice can take the place of lime juice.

  • Don't be afraid to try other alcoholic drinks

Vodka works best for mules, especially since copper mugs enhance its flavor. But when people tried mixing bourbon, the resulting variation became a great hit.

  • Bring flavor into your mule

Watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, hibiscus, and even jalapeño — there are so many ingredients that bring out different flavors to the classic Moscow mule recipe. Fruits are always good options but don't be afraid to try other components as well. Who knows, you might just create the next popular mule recipe.

Moscow Mule Drink FAQ

1. What alcohol is in a Moscow mule?

The classic Moscow mule recipe contains the distilled Russian alcohol, vodka. This beverage interacts with copper and gives a better drinking experience. Thus, the Moscow mule is usually served in copper mugs .

2. How do you make a Moscow mule without Ginger Beer?

In case you are craving a refreshing mug of Moscow mule but do not have ginger beer available, you can use its counterpart instead, the ginger ale .

3. What is the best Ginger Beer for Moscow mule ?

Fever Tree Ginger Beer is an award-winning ginger beer that contains perfectly balanced natural ingredients. It is the ideal choice for mixing cocktails, especially for making Moscow mule recipe variations. The Q Ginger Beer is also a great choice for its extra carbonation that gives off a fresh taste in your cocktails.

4. Is Ginger beer in Moscow mule alcoholic?

No. Ginger beer is not classified as an alcoholic beverage but is a great addition to the Moscow mule recipe because it pairs well with vodka.

Conclusion

Moscow mule is a simple and hard-to-top cocktail with so many delicious recipe variations that it's hard to know where to start. There is always a Moscow mule recipe for any occasion and flavor preference, so you'll never run out of ideas.

What's your favorite Moscow mule recipe? Let us know in the comments below.

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