The Moscow Mule came about in the U.S in the 1940’s due to the fact that vodka didn’t sell well here in the U.S. John G. Martin bought an alcohol brand and faced problems selling it, so he linked up with a bartender at the L.A bar Cock ‘n’ Bull, where he revealed that he was facing trouble selling ginger beer as well. Then these two ran into another who was facing trouble selling his copper mugs, so they merged the three, and out came the Moscow Mule.
To get started, I served this mule in a V Series glass so that that contents could be seen, verses putting it in a mule glass like it would be traditionally served. The core components of a cocktail are a base spirit, a flavoring, ice (optional) and a garnish. Lets dig into each component of this Cranberry Mule.
Spirit (Liquor)
Spirit refers to the type of Base alcohol, which in this case is Vodka. Other ‘spirits’ include Rum, Gin, Whiskey, Tequila etc. The spirit used in this recipe is Ketel one Vodka, although you could use your favorite vokda instead, whether is Tito’s, Ciroc, or Grey Goose etc.
Flavoring
A flavoring in a cocktail could be anything that gives flavor, so it can be juice, a syrup, an extract, puree, soda etc. In this cocktail the flavoring is cranberry juice and Ginger beer.
Garnish
The garnishes used in this cocktail are fresh cut lime slices and mint leaves. I sometimes tend to cut the limes into smaller pieces because it distributes the lime flavor quicker if the pieces are smaller. These garnishes are traditional and play a role in developing more flavor as time passes since they continue to release juices and essential oils. Just don’t let your drink sit too long and get watered down.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
| Ketel One Vodka | 2 oz |
| Cranberry Juice | 2 oz |
| Ginger Beer | 2 oz |
| Ice | enough to fill glass |
| Lime slices (Garnish) | 2 |
| Mint Leaves (Garnish) | 7, reserve 2 |
Instructions
- Put ice, and all of the ingredients in a shaker, except for lime wedges and two mint leaves.
- Fill a mule cup with ice.
- shake the ingrients together vigorously for about 10 seconds. Next strain it into the glass over the fresh ice, squeeze the lime wedges on top and put them in the glass, put your last two mint garnishes on top as well.
Now you have an aromatic and flavorful Cranberry Mule to enjoy with friends and family. This recipe is so easy to make and can be done in seconds. Cocktails, just like food can be altered in so many ways, due to all of the variety of flavors in the world. Much of them are turned into syrups that you can buy from companies like Monin etc.
Today’s recipe was a change of pace, being my first drink recipe. It’s always nice to switch it up every now and then and throw you all some surprises. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy this recipe and have a Great Day.
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