Two copper mugs of cranberry Moscow mule garnished with fresh cranberries, lime, and rosemary.

Our Favorite Holiday Cocktail

The traditional version of the Moscow mule is a simple combination of vodka and fresh-squeezed lime juice, topped off with ginger beer and garnished with a lime wedge.

Our holiday-inspired cranberry version builds on those original flavors with homemade spiced cranberry syrup, some extra lime juice to balance the sweetness, and a good-quality, spicy ginger beer to pull it all together. Garnished with fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary, this cocktail is loaded with seasonal flavors and has a festive look that’s perfect for entertaining.

How to Make a Cranberry Moscow Mule

Gather the following ingredients for each serving: 2 ounces of vodka, 1-1/2 ounces spiced cranberry syrup, 1-1/2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice, 4 ounces ginger beer, and lime wedges, fresh cranberries, and rosemary sprigs for garnish.

Fill a copper mug with ice. (You can also use a highball glass.)
Add the vodka, spiced cranberry syrup, and lime juice and stir.
Top with ginger beer, stir gently and add a lime wedge.
Garnish with fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig if desired.

In addition to the cranberry syrup needed for this cocktail, our holiday spiced simple syrup recipes include orange, rosemary, and ginger.

The Origin of the Moscow Mule

The Moscow mule was created in the early 1940s as part of a marketing collaboration between Hollywood’s Cock’n Bull restaurant (a maker of ginger beer) and Smirnoff vodka. Part of the promotion included the novelty of serving this tasty new concoction in a frosty copper mug. The owner of Smirnoff traveled about the country from bar to bar, taking Polaroid photos of bartenders with their Moscow mules, and the trend soon caught on. Vodka gained popularity in the US, the Cock’n Bull was selling plenty of ginger beer, and best of all, an iconic American cocktail was born.