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Despite your hipster soul whispering the contrary, plenty of things born of capitalism for the sole purpose of making a profit are still good and worthwhile—breakfast sandwiches made with donuts, for example, or streaming television, or the Moscow Mule. The original Mule wasn’t lovingly crafted by a bartender who wanted to make a lasting contribution to the history of cocktails. Instead, and the urban legend varies, it was three down-on-their-luck businesspeople who teamed up to create a marketable cocktail to solve all their problems.
The three businesspeople were a Hollywood bar owner, a vodka brand owner, and a copper mug manufacturer. They created the Moscow Mule to convince America to drink vodka and buy copper mugs. As a side effect, they made a damn good Moscow Mule with infinite variations.
You can score some copper mugs online, or at your local thrift store. They make every sip of a Mule super cold and effervescent.
Moscow Mule
The original to get you started.
- 2 ounces vodka.
- ½ ounce lime juice.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
Combine vodka and lime in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour over ice in a copper mug and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Mexican Mule
There are a lot of geographic variations of the Moscow Mule. (Insider mixology secret–almost everything tastes good with ginger beer.)
- 2 ounces tequila.
- ½ ounce Grand Marnier.
- ¾ ounce lime juice.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
You already know–shake the first three ingredients with ice to chill, then strain into a copper mug with ice and ginger beer.
Glasgow Mule
We’ve said it in every cocktail post, but keep your home bar stocked with elderflower liqueur.
- 2 ounces blended Scotch.
- ½ ounce elderflower liqueur.
- ¾ ounce lime juice.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
- 1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
Shake those first three ingredients with ice, and strain into a copper mug with ginger beer. Garnish with a dash of bitters and a lime wedge.
Kentucky Mule
The Kentucky Mule is a type of Moscow Mule drink that includes a little Mint Julep, a little Moscow Mule, and a lot of refreshment.
- 2 ounces bourbon.
- ½ ounce lime juice.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
- Spring of fresh mint.
Shake bourbon and lime with ice to chill, strain into a copper mug with ice and ginger beer and garnish with lots of fresh mint.
Midleton Mule
Stop drinking green beer on St. Paddy’s Day. You deserve better.
- 2 ounces Jameson.
- ½ ounce lime juice.
- ½ ounce fresh ginger juice.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
Shake whiskey, ginger juice, and lime juice with ice to chill and dilute, then strain over ice in a copper mug, top with ginger beer.
Gin-Gin Mule
Guess what spirit is in this type of Moscow Mule. Go ahead. Guess.
- It’s gin! 2 ounces, darling.
- 1 ounce lime juice.
- ½ ounce simple syrup.
- Lots of fresh mint.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
Combine the first four ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake to chill and dilute—strain into a copper mug with ice and ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge and fresh mint sprig.
Dark and Stormy
Underappreciated and always a good idea, the Dark and Stormy turns all your ennui and angst into a delicious cocktail.
- 2 ounces dark or demerara rum
- ¾ ounce lime juice.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
- 1-2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
Combine rum and lime and shake with ice. No copper mug for the D&S–instead, strain into a chilled collins glass with ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime and Angostura bitters.
Oaxacan Mule
Someday we’ll go hard into why mezcal is the greatest spirit ever created. For now, we’ll just say if you love good drinks, this variation of the Moscow Mule will become a regular in your cocktail order rotation.
- 2 ounces mezcal.
- 1 ounce lime.
- ½ ounce agave syrup.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
- Dash of Taijin.
Combine the first three ingredients with ice and shake—strain into a copper mug with ice and ginger beer. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of Taijin seasoning.
All the Regional Ciders You Need to Know About
Fall is cider season. Here’s the complete list of regional ciders you should stock up on.
Fruit Mule
Crack open that produce drawer in your fridge and use those “healthy breakfast options.” Muddle, juice, garnish with berries and melon.
- 2 ounces vodka.
- 1 ounce lime juice.
- ½ ounce simple syrup.
- A handful of muddled fruit.
- 3 ounces ginger beer.
Muddle fresh fruit at the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the first three ingredients and ice, and shake—strain into a copper mug and top with ginger beer. Garnish with more fruit.
Cider Mule
Let it never be said that we at UrbanMatter don’t take care of the PSL people. Here is your fall Mule recipe.
- 1 ½ ounce bourbon.
- ¾ ounce ginger liqueur.
- 1 ounce lemon juice.
- 2 ounces apple cider.
- 2 ounces ginger beer.
Combine the first four ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a copper mug, with ginger beer and ice. Top with grated cinnamon.
Featured Photo Credit: Gary Meulemans on Unsplash