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Moscow Mule

01.03.2022
by Honest & Rare Editorial Team
Moscow Mule - Das Rezept

The Moscow Mule is one of the favorites among bartenders. Refreshing taste, few ingredients and yet a real eye-catcher in a stylish copper mug. But beware: if you ask professionals what a difficult cocktail is, they will tell you: One with few ingredients. It's less about the method of preparation and more about the balance of the various flavor components.

This is also the case with the Moscow Mule: vodka, lime juice and ginger beer must be in the optimum ratio. That's why you should never make a Moscow Mule by the numbers, but always according to the recipe!

Moscow Mule recipe

Ingredients:


Preparation:

  1. Pour ice cubes into the copper mug.
  2. Add lime juice and vodka.
  3. Top up with ginger beer.
  4. Garnish with mint. Some say: with cucumber. But that's a matter of taste.


Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is. If you make sure you use high-quality ingredients. You'll find out what makes them stand out in the following paragraphs!


Original Moscow Mule Rezept!
Original Moscow Mule recipe!



Moscow Mule alternatives

Looking for a similar cocktail recipe?

Here are a few suitable alternatives to the Moscow Mule:

  • Gin Fizz - Refreshing cocktail with gin
  • Old Fashioned - the most popular whisky cocktail in the world
  • Mojito - fruity cocktail with rum


Things to know about the Moscow Mule - the cocktail with ginger beer in a copper mug

We've already explained what a Moscow Mule is: a Moscow Mule is a long drink made with vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and ice cubes. In the original recipe, it is served in a copper mug .


History of the cocktail in a copper mug

The fact that the Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug has to do with its history. While the origin stories of other cocktails sometimes read like adventure novels, the Moscow Mule is the result of superfluity: In the 1940s, three people met, each of whom had too much of something. While the first worked for what is now the Smirnoff vodka empire, the second was passionate about brewing ginger beer. The third in the group owned a copper factory.


Mittlerweile trinkt man den Moscow Mule in vielen Varianten - zum Beispiel mit Blutorangen.
People now drink the Moscow Mule in many variations - for example with blood oranges.


This gave rise - no joke - to the Moscow Mule. Served in a copper mug, rounded off with lime juice. A coincidence and a stroke of luck, because the stuff tastes fantastic when mixed properly. The Moscow Mule boosted Smirnoff's sales and has been experiencing a renaissance since the 2010s. Today, this classic cocktail is part of the standard repertoire in every halfway decent bar.

High-quality copper mugs are available from Manufactum, for example: copper mugs from Cu Artigiana

Which ginger beer, which vodka, which lime?

When you cook, you look for the best products. It's no different with cocktail classics. That's why we have some recommendations for you on what you should look out for in the ingredients for the Moscow Mule!

Which vodka goes into the Moscow Mule?

Let's start with a well-mixed standard Moscow Mule. For this, a neutral-tasting, smooth distillate from the medium price range forms the right basis for balancing the other two flavor components. It is best to make sure you buy a premium vodka. These are multi-distilled and therefore have fewer fuselic substances - and therefore have a cleaner taste and are less head-heavy the morning after.


Für deine ersten Moscow Mule Versuche solltest du dir einen milden Vodka aus dem mittleren Preissegment besorgen
For your first Moscow Mule attempts, you should get a mild vodka from the mid-price segment


Once you feel you have mastered the standard version, you can perfect your Moscow Mule with more exclusive distillates. The subtle grain nuances and the special mouthfeel of the highest quality or refined vodkas will round off your Moscow Mule and give it the finishing touch with attention to detail.

Which ginger beer belongs in a Moscow Mule?

For a delicious Moscow Mule, you need a high-quality ginger beer with as little sugar as possible and a good sharpness. Ginger ale does NOT belong in an original Moscow Mule!

Experts agree: keep your hands off ginger ale. It's like Cuba Libre with Diet Coke. You can now get ginger beer in any well-stocked supermarket and in any beverage store or, of course, . It is much spicier, stronger, more aromatic and fizzier than ginger ale. The ginger beer adds the refreshing spiciness to the Moscow Mule and gives it its invigorating character. You should make sure that there is not too much sugar in the ginger beer - but that the taste is characterized by a nice, natural spiciness. Experimenting with the different varieties is expressly permitted!


Ginger Beer ist deutlich schärfer als Ginger Ale.
Ginger beer is significantly more intense and sharper than ginger ale.


What influence does lime juice have?

When buying fresh limes, you should only buy untreated fruit to avoid toxins ending up in your drink. Make sure the limes are a rich green color and have a firm, but not too hard consistency.

Tip for squeezing the lime: Many foods need to 'breathe' in order to develop their flavor. Some wines are poured into a decanter so that they are aerated before drinking. This also applies to freshly squeezed lime juice. Leave it to stand for a few hours to make it stronger, more balanced and more aromatic.


Achte beim Kauf von Limetten für den Moscow Mule auf eine satte grüne Färbung der Frucht!
When buying limes for the Moscow Mule, make sure the fruit is a rich green color!


The copper mug and its effect on the Moscow Mule

As already mentioned, the fact that the Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug is due to the history of its creation and was primarily for marketing purposes. However, the combination of Moscow Mule and copper mug still gives the cult cocktail a high recognition value today.

Nevertheless, the mule mug also serves a practical purpose: due to the excellent heat-conducting properties of copper, the ice melts more slowly and the cocktail stays cold for longer. The combination of cold and copper also ensures that more bubbles are created in the carbonated ginger beer - and the cocktail should therefore taste much more effervescent than in a conventional long drink glass.


Here are the best vodkas for the Moscow Mule

Conclusion for enjoyment: lime juice, ginger beer, vodka - these three components must be brought to the point in terms of quality. Three perfect ingredients in perfect balance. While we leave the search for the right ginger beer and high-quality limes to you, we have a few recommendations for you here:


Buy high-quality vodka:


More recipes for cocktails and long drinks

Recipes with gin:


Recipes with Vodka:


Non-alcoholic cocktail recipes:


Recipes with rum:


Recipes with whisky:


Recipes with grain:


Strong cocktails with multiple spirits:

  

About the autor:

Honest & Rare Editorial Team

Honest & Rare Editorial Team

#goteam

Some things can only be accomplished as a team. Just like this article here! That's why we mark all jointly created articles as editorial contributions. Cheers!

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