Moscow Mule
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Moscow Mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime. The name refers to the popular preception of vodka as a russian product and the intense flavor "kick" of ginger beer.
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[edit] Typical Recipe
- 3 oz. chilled vodka
- 12 oz. ginger beer (soda)
- 1/2 lime
- Ice
Squeeze the lime juice into a chilled pint glass, then drop the lime itself in. Fill hallway with ice and pour in the vodka and soda. Stir, garnish, and serve.
NOTE: When serving a Moscow Mule in the traditional copper mug, which typically hold 12 fl. oz., reduce all ingredients by 50%.
[edit] Other variations
- Mexican Mule, with Tequila
- Jamaican Mule, with spiced rum
- Wild Mule, with absinthe
- Helsinki Mule, with Koskenkorva
[edit] History
The Moscow Mule kicked off the vodka craze in the United States during the 1950s, when gin was the preferred "white" (clear) liqour. It was invented by John G. Martin of Heublein, Inc., an East Coast spirits and food distributor that bought the rights to Smirnoff vodka, and Jack Morgan, proprietor of the Cock ‘N’ Bull, a bar on Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard popular with celebrities. Martin had the idea to mix vodka with Morgan’s equally struggling ginger beer franchise. Add to that a unique, and now hard to find, copper mug, and they had the recipe for a refreshing drink that fast became popular. Today, the cocktail is relatively obscure due to the difficulty in obtaining the vital ginger beer, although higher-end bars sometimes feature the drink on their menus as a special item.
[edit] External link for more on the mule
[edit] Earliest References
[edit] "Inside Hollywood" by Eith Gwynn, December 27, 1942
"There is a new drink that is a craze in the movie colony now. It is called "Moscow Mule." Recipe: equal parts Vodka, lime juice and ginger beer!..."
[edit] "Nevada State Journal," 12th October, 1943
"In Los Angeles, USA, the Moscow Mule was born, it combines Smirnoff Vodka, Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer and lime. Already the Mule is climbing up into the exclusive handful of most-popular mixed drinks"
