ClassicsSummer

Moscow Mule

John G. Martin of Heublein and Jack Morgan of the Cock 'n' Bull, Los Angeles, 1941

The Moscow Mule is vodka, fresh lime and spicy ginger beer over crushed ice in a copper mug. The ginger carries real heat, which makes it as welcome in midwinter as on a summer patio. The copper keeps it cold to the last sip.

  • GlassCopper mug
  • MethodBuilt in the glass
  • Ingredients4
  • Prep2 min
  • DifficultyEasy
Moscow Mule

Ingredients

Making a batch?
Servings
Lime sliceGarnish
Total volume—

Directions

  1. Fill a copper mug with crushed ice.
  2. Add the vodka, lime juice and simple syrup.
  3. Top with ginger beer and give it a short stir.

ToolsJiggerBar spoonCopper mug

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History

Most accounts date the Moscow Mule to 1941. John G. Martin of Heublein was trying to sell Smirnoff vodka to Americans, and Jack Morgan of the Cock 'n' Bull in Los Angeles was trying to sell his ginger beer. Accounts differ on exactly where the first one was mixed, but the pair built the drink to move both products. The copper mug became its signature, and the Mule helped launch America's vodka boom.

Making a batch? Scale it for a crowd, add dilution water, and see how many bottles to buy.
Quick sizes
How are you making it? ⓘ Batching includes dilution water. Pre-batched cocktails need added water to replace the melt from stirring or shaking. We use Jeffrey Morgenthaler's standard: 18% for spirit-forward drinks, 25% for shaken.

What you'll need to buy

Based on 750ml bottles (25.4 oz), rounded up.

Bottle math, generally

750ml bottle25.4 oz
2 oz pours per bottle12 cocktails
1.5 oz pours per bottle16 cocktails
1 oz =29.6 ml
This recipe per 750ml of spirit—

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