Cranberry Moscow Mule

Name: Cranberry Moscow Mule
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ounces vodka; 1-1/2 ounces spiced cranberry syrup; 1-1/2 ounces lime juice; 4 ounces ginger beer; Lime wedge; Fresh cranberries (optional garnish); Rosemary sprig (optional garnish)

by Lynne Webb // 0 Comments »

Homemade spiced cranberry simple syrup along with vodka, lime, and ginger beer makes a delicious seasonal twist on a classic cocktail.

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

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 cranberry version builds on those original flavors with the addition of a 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 drink is loaded with seasonal flavors and has a festive look that’s perfect for holiday entertaining.

Did you know?

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.