For a cocktail full of holiday cheer, try this festive take on a Moscow mule featuring lime, ginger beer, vodka, and a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice.
It was kismet. First, our favorite local bartender gives us a copper mug. Then, in this month’s Degustabox we get two cans of Bruce Cost Ginger Beer. You know where I’m going with this right? Yeah, how could we not make a Moscow Mule? Fate was seeming to demand it.
Why use a Copper mug for your Festive Cranberry Moscow Mule?
The classic Moscow Mule is so easy to make – lime juice, vodka, ginger beer on ice. Ideally, it should be served in a copper mug. The copper mug allows for the best temperature and taste. It keeps the drink colder, longer. Cold copper reportedly increases the fizziness of the ginger beer and also heightens the citrus taste of the lime juice. Some experts say that the copper begins to oxidize when the vodka hits it, thereby enhancing the aroma and the taste. Plus, it looks cool.
Bruce Cost Ginger Beer tends to be a bit more spicy and dry than regular ginger ale. For those reasons, I think it makes the perfect cocktail mixer.
With the holidays fast approaching, I decided to give the traditional Moscow Mule a bit of a festive twist by adding cranberry juice. It’s not exactly an original idea, but it’s definitely a tasty beverage. Unlike most recipes I saw out there, I used unsweetened cranberry juice as opposed to cranberry juice cocktail or sweetened juice. I wanted to add the hearty cranberry color and flavor without the sugar. If the thought of unsweetened cranberry juice makes you pucker, don’t worry because the ginger beer gives the drink just enough sweetness to balance everything out.
Cheers to a happy upcoming holiday season. Let’s not let the chaos get to us. And when it does, let’s make a cocktail. (As if I even need to remind you all, please drink responsibly.)
Festive Cranberry Moscow Mule
Equipment
- Copper mug
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 3 ounces vodka
- 2 ounces unsweetened cranberry juice
- 4 ounces ginger beer
- lime slice optional for garnish
- 3 fresh cranberries optional for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a copper mug with ice. Pour in the lime juice, vodka and cranberry juice. Top with ginger beer. Stir.
- Garnish with the lime wedge and fresh cranberries. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Photos by Renato Ghio