Ingredients:
2 oz vodka
1 oz fresh lime juice
6 oz ginger beer
Ice
Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions:
Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice.
Add the vodka and lime juice to the glass and stir to combine.
Top with ginger beer.
Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Optional: If you want to add a little extra flavor to your Moscow Mule, you can also muddle some fresh mint leaves at the bottom of the glass before adding the ice.
Note: It's important to use ginger beer in this recipe, not ginger ale, as the stronger flavor of ginger beer pairs better with the other ingredients in the cocktail.
The Moscow Mule cocktail has a fascinating history that involves a group of creative entrepreneurs, a struggling liquor brand, and a random encounter with a copper mug.
In the early 1940s, John G. Martin, president of Heublein Inc., was looking for ways to promote the company's struggling Smirnoff vodka brand. At the same time, Jack Morgan, owner of the popular Cock 'n' Bull restaurant in Hollywood, was struggling to sell his homemade ginger beer.
One day, Martin and Morgan met in a bar and decided to team up to create a new cocktail that would help both of their businesses. They mixed Smirnoff vodka with Morgan's ginger beer and added a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The result was a refreshing and zesty cocktail that they named the Moscow Mule.
To make the drink even more distinctive, Martin and Morgan decided to serve it in a copper mug. They reasoned that the unique presentation would make it stand out from other cocktails and help create a buzz around the new drink.
They were right. The Moscow Mule became an instant hit, both in Hollywood and across the country. The copper mug gave the drink a distinctive appearance, and people loved the combination of the zesty ginger beer, tangy lime juice, and smooth vodka.
As the popularity of the Moscow Mule grew, so did the fortunes of Smirnoff vodka. The brand had been struggling before the invention of the Moscow Mule, but the success of the cocktail helped to turn it into one of the most popular liquor brands in America.
Today, the Moscow Mule remains a beloved classic cocktail that's enjoyed around the world. It's a testament to the power of creative thinking, entrepreneurship, and the importance of a good marketing strategy. And of course, it's also a testament to the delicious combination of vodka, ginger beer, and lime.