You can never go wrong with festive drink recipes for the winter months. Some of my favorite holiday cocktails and drinks include a cranberry mimosa, Grinch cocktail, Jack Frost cocktail, Christmas margarita, slow cooker hot chocolate, Christmas sangria and this elegant cranberry mule. I love a good Moscow mule, and this cranberry version is a fun twist on the classic Moscow mule recipe.
Cranberry Moscow Mule Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need cranberry juice cocktail, vodka, fresh lime juice and ginger beer. You can also garnish your drink with fresh cranberries, lime wedges and sprigs of mint.
How Do You Make A Cranberry Moscow Mule?
Fill a copper mug 2/3 of the way full of ice. Pour vodka over the ice, then add the cranberry juice cocktail and lime juice. Pour in the ginger beer. Stir gently to combine, then garnish the drink with fresh cranberries, lime and mint, and serve.
Tips For The Perfect Drink
Use a high quality vodka for the best cranberry moscow mule. A good vodka is one that has a nice mouthfeel without a harsh aftertaste. Ginger beer is a sweet fizzy drink with a pronounced ginger flavor. You can buy it in small bottles in the mixers area near the alcohol, or sometimes you will see it in the soda aisle. I prefer the flavor of sweetened cranberry juice cocktail in this drink. If you prefer a less sweet drink, use 100% cranberry juice. If you go the unsweetened cranberry juice route, you may need to add a little simple syrup too. This recipe makes one drink. You can easily adjust the number of servings in the recipe card to fit your occasion and the ingredient amounts will automatically scale up. You can easily make this recipe in larger batches. Choose the number of servings you need in the recipe card, then mix everything together in a glass pitcher, pour into mugs and serve. This recipe does not use a cocktail shaker because many home cooks do not have them on hand. If you do prefer to shake your mule, you can place the vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice in cocktail shaker or sealed mason jar. Shake the ingredients together, then pour them over the ice and add the ginger beer. Copper mugs come in many sizes. This recipe makes 8 ounces of cocktail, which works well in a 16 ounce mug once you add the ice.
Flavor Variations
While this cranberry Moscow mule recipe is delicious as-is, you can change up some of the flavors to suit your tastes.
Juice: Swap out the cranberry juice for pomegranate juice, apple cider or cherry juice to make a drink with a different flavor profile. Flavorings: You can add extra ingredients to enhance the flavors of the drink. Some great options include grenadine or a dash of cinnamon. Try club soda instead of ginger beer for a less sweet drink. Garnishes: Try some different garnishes such as a sprig of rosemary or some crystallized ginger. Alcohol: Use whiskey instead of vodka to make a version of an Irish mule. You could also use a liquor such as rum or gin, or try tequila for a twist on the Mexican mule.
You simply can’t go wrong with a Christmas Moscow mule. It’s a must-try drink for your guests when cranberries are in season!
