Name: Moscow Mule
Prep time: 1 min
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Ingredients: 2 oz Vodka; 4 oz Ginger Beer; 0.5 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice; Ice; Lime Wedge, for garnish

Everything You Need to Know About the Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule is a mid-century masterpiece born of a three-way marketing crisis. According to legend, fate brought together three struggling entrepreneurs at the Cock ’n’ Bull pub in Los Angeles in 1941; John Martin, who couldn't convince Americans to turn their tastes to vodka; Jack Morgan, who was drowning in a surplus of ginger beer; and Sophie Berezinski, a Russian immigrant desperate to get rid of 2,000 solid copper mugs she had brought from her father's factory. Together, they realized that by combining their "dead stock" with a squeeze of lime, they had created a drink with a kick that was both delicious and fun. Martin famously popularized the cocktail by traveling from bar to bar with a Polaroid camera—one of the first "influencer" campaigns—photographing bartenders with the copper mug to prove to the next pub that the drink was a viral sensation.

Moscow Mule

Prep Time1 min

Yield1 Cocktail

Base SpiritVodka

Ingredients

2 oz Vodka
4 oz Ginger Beer
0.5 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
Ice
Lime Wedge, for garnish

It Only Takes 60 Seconds To Make A Moscow Mule

Instructions

Fill a chilled copper mug with ice.
Add vodka and lime juice.
Top with ginger beer.
Stir gently.
Garnish with a lime wedge.

Pro Tip

For the ultimate experience, store your copper mugs in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Copper’s high thermal conductivity isn't just for show; it chills the liquid instantly, which prevents the ice from melting too quickly and keeps the ginger beer’s carbonation sharp and stinging until the very last sip.

Moscow Mule Riff

While modern menus offer the tequila-fueled Mexican Mule or the bourbon-heavy Kentucky Mule, we prefer to trade the clean snap of vodka for the rich, tropical depth of spiced black rum. The molasses and clove notes of the rum swirl beautifully with the heat of the ginger beer, offering a soulful alternative to the original's historical balance. Served ice-cold in the legendary copper mug, it remains a gold standard of refreshment with a deeper, moodier kick.