Smirnoff No. 21 with Smirnoff Mule

Blogs & Inspiration

 The Moscow Mule with a Twist

The Moscow Mule: we all know it and love it. A spicy and zingy serve, popular with customers all over the world - but have you ever thought about putting your own twist on this classic cocktail?  

 

Leading UK bartender James Fowler explores the history of this famous serve and offers his own twists to get you started. 

 

Estimated read time: 4 minutes  

Author: James Fowler 

The Origin of the Mule

The exact origin of the Moscow Mule is somewhat debated but according to the most popular claims, the cocktail was created in 1941. At the time, whisky was more popular than vodka in the USA and most Americans didn’t even know what ginger beer was.

According to popular belief, John Martin and his friend, Jack Morgan, who owned a pub in Los Angeles, created their own ginger beer. As owner of Smirnoff at the time, John naturally mixed the new creation with vodka and a delicious new serve was born.

The two friends hit the road showcasing the cocktail to other bartenders along the way. The two men kept this cycle going and by 1943 the Moscow Mule had taken the USA by storm.

The cocktail has seen a big resurgence in recent years. It’s a simple mix of vodka, fresh lime and ginger beer which creates a zingy, spicy flavor combination. Using this classic combination as a base, you can easily twist this cocktail by playing with different spirits and substituting the lime with other citrus flavors.

Why fix what’s not broken?

As much as creating brand-new drinks is great, there is always a charm in exploring the classics. Customers are more likely to try a cocktail they know, so by putting your own twist on a classic, you get to be creative and get your customers to try something new. 

Here are a few twists on the Moscow Mule that I have created which follow the same style of a simple built mule. Each serve contains ginger beer, which in terms of flavour is the key element of any mule. 

Key Takeaways

  • The Moscow Mule is a spicy and zingy serve with plenty of opportunity to add a twist 
  • According to most popular claims, the cocktail was created in 1941 by John Martin in the US  
  • The cocktail has seen a big resurgence in recent years. Using this classic combination as a base, you can easily twist this cocktail by playing with different spirits and substituting the lime with other citrus flavors.