7 Best Russian Mule Recipes that are Worth Trying

There are only some drinks that are considered timeless, a well-aged single malt, that one merlot that still gets you high like it used to, and of course who can forget a celebrated gin and tonic. Right up the market, Smirnoff classic Russain Mule, a little unconventional but eternal. This drink also happens to be one of the oldest after-party drinks and one of the best has curated seven recipes of doing up a fun Russian Mule.

Russian Mule Recipes 

Let’s go back a little and talk about the history of a Russian Mule that is more commonly know as Moscow Mule. Started in the 1940s in a New York’s in a quaint little bar, the owners were trying to get rid of extra vodka in their inventory. It soon became a personal favorite of the passing celebrities, a couple of celebrities are photographed drinking it in the signature copper mug. Celebrities like Woody Allen have posed for Smirnoff vodka with copper mugs, the recipe caught fire for all the right reasons, it was easy to make, it was delicious and it got you just as drunk as you wanted. It needs 3 ingredients and ice, fun fact about one of the ingredients Ginger Ale Beer which is one of the most important ingredients of Moscow Mule wasn’t selling as much before the signature drink got invented. From the same family comes a Russian mule, let’s dig in.

Making the Russian Mule

This takes all of five minutes to make, all you need is-

• Ginger Beer/ Ginger Ale 
• Vodka 
• Fresh Lime Juice 
• 2 Pieces of Lime Wedges for the garnish 
• One piece of ginger
• Lime Juice 
• A dash of  sugar syrup 
• Ice 

How to Make-

• Get yourself to the bar, dust off your shaker, wash it and now in it put ginger, vodka, (as much as you can take, we’re kidding 60ml is fine) dash of sugar syrup, lime juice.
• Shake it well and then strain the mixture in the signature copper mug.
• Top up the mug with the ginger beer 
• Add ice, garnish with the lemon wedge, and you’re ready to go.

It has a Moscow mule pallet but the sugar syrup makes it a bit sweet that balances the taste in a very graceful way, you can also use other types of sugars for this. There are some organic vegan products available for the substitution of sugar. If you use ginger ale instead of ginger beer then you would not need as much sugar since ginger ale is predominantly sweet.

How is the Russian Mule Served?

A Russian mule too is served in a copper mug. The best part about serving it in a copper mug is that with ice chilling all our master ingredients in a copper mug it enhances the flavors of the drink-making the drink more enjoyable, of course, the Copper mugs have their own story. Before this drink got popularised the copper mugs were headed to a landfill, a Russian immigrant had 2,000 of them she walked into the right bar at the right time and the inventors of it gave copper mugs a new life. A classic Russian Mule is also a good test of copper if it’s authentic it will heighten the taste and if it’s not then the drink will taste stale and have notes of metal in it.  Even in all the ads marketing Smirnoff the signature copper mug was always featured. Other than enriching your taste buds, copper mugs also look classier, they are an ideal gift for a friend who loves to drink vodka with their name engraved on the mug like some of the Hollywood stars used to back in the day. You can also serve it in the glass but take it from us. It wouldn’t have the same charm as a classic copper mug.

 7 Best Russian Mule Recipe

That is not all you can do with the main ingredients, the family of mules gives you enough to play with. Let’s discuss some more recipes.

1. The Classic Russian Mule Recipe

Ingredients-

• Ginger Beer/ Ginger Ale 
• Vodka 
• Fresh Lime Juice 
• 2 Pieces of Lime Wedges for the garnish 
• One piece of ginger
• Lime Juice 
• A dash of  sugar syrup 
• Ice 

How to Make-

• Get yourself to the bar, dust off your shaker, wash it and now in it put ginger, vodka, ( 60ml ) you can dash of sugar syrup, lime juice.
• Shake it well and then strain the mixture in the signature copper mug.
• Top up the mug with the ginger beer 
• Add ice, garnish with the lemon wedge, and you’re ready to go.

 2. The Aussie-Russian Mule Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 ginger  beer
• 60 ml Dark Rum 
• Some lime juice 
• Dash of  sugar syrup 
• A lot of Ice
• A Lemon wedge for garnish 

How to make-

-Put all the ingredients in a copper mug

– Top it up with ice, add the garnish and serve

Rum is the favorite drink down under, Australia is known for its die-hard love for rum, hence the name. Rum is already a celebrated drink for the winters, add ginger so that you can have this cocktail throughout the seasons.

 3. Orange Russian Mule

Ingredients:

• 60 ml vodka
• 60 ml orange juice(preferably fresh)
• Some non-alcoholic ginger beer
• A tablespoon of lime juice 
• Lots of Ice
• An Orange slice for Garnish 

Instructions:

• Put all the ingredients in a copper mug 
• Add some ice and stir 
• Garnish the mug with the orange slice and you’re good to go.

This is a fun cocktail for brunch or day drinking sessions with your pals. It has orange juice and if you use fresh juice that is without any preservatives it makes this drink very healthy too. Orange juice comes second in line after pineapple juice when it comes to being a great mixer for drinks, its sweet-sourness doesn’t take anything away from the flavor of the alcohol and seals the deal with your taste buds with rich citrus notes.

4. The Russian-Mexican Mule Recipe

Ingredients:

• 30 ml tequila 
• 60 ml ginger beer 
• A dash of lime juice 
• Some sweet syrup
• Mint sprig
• Ice

How to make-

-Put all the ingredients in the copper mug 

-Add ice 

-Garnish with Mint Sprig

Tequila is a classic Mexican drink, tequila gives this drink a jazzed-up tone that is then settled down with ginger beer, giving it the taste that you just can’t resist. Tequila being a white liquor is less harmless than darker liquor, so this is a drink you can have many glasses of and it won’t burn you like it would if you were just doing shots. It’s a great party drink and an even better sundowner drink.

5. Pineapple and Ginger Russian Mule

Ingredients:

• 60 ml vodka
• Some ginger simple syrup
• A tablespoon of fresh lime juice 
• 30 ml pineapple juice
• Dash of club soda 
• Ice 

How to make 

• Get your shaker out of the fridge again for this one, pour vodka, lime juice, ginger syrup, and ice into it, shake it well.
• Strain the solution into your copper mug and add the pineapple juice  
• Pour a splash of club soda into it and you’re good to go.

This is an exoctic spin to the Russian mule family, the pineapple juice makes it perfect for day drinking and every other ingredient highlights the refreshment of this tropically infused drink. 

The flavor of pineapple is as diverse as it may react differently to different pallets, try to use fresh pineapple juice if you can, it does wonders for the taste and then this drink too can be checked into the long list of healthy alcoholic drinks.

6. The Mimic (Non-Alcoholic) Russian Mule Recipe

Ingredients:

-Some non-alcoholic ginger beer 

-One Sliced Lime

-1 Pinch Mint 

-Mint Sprig 

How to make-

– Put the lime and mint in the shaker, add the ginger beer and shake it well.

-Strain the mixture into a glass and garnish it with our favorite Mint Sprig, Serve it on.

Pregnant mamas and everyone who is put off by alcohol can still try and love the non-alcoholic mocktail of the Russian mule cocktail. The flavoring will have the same effect, make sure that the ingredients are fresh for a better taste. The aroma is refreshing and makes for a very healthy mocktail for a soon-to-be mama who isn’t able to drink. 

 7. The English Russian Mule

Ingredients-

-60 ml ginger beer 

– 60 ml good English Gin 

-Lime Juice (just a dash)

-Dash of Sugar Syrup 

-Lime Wedge and Ice

How to make:

• Put all the ingredients except ginger beer and ice into the mug and stir it.
• Add ginger beer and ice 
• Garnish that with a lime wedge and you’re good to go

There is a reason why brits prefer gin over other drinks, it’s not only a great drink for cocktails such as this but it isn’t also quite low in its sugar concentration.  This is why it is preferred by people who are health conscious and even actresses. Most actresses prefer drinking vodka or gin for its lower calorie count and like we have discussed earlier, lighter drinks are much better for the body than the darker ones.  Gin is a classic drink for people who like day drinking since it’s a lighter spirit that does its magic with very little amount. It’s a drink you can also hold well so if you don’t want to throw a rager after having cocktails with your friends you should go for this classy drink.

Conclusion

There are a lot of cocktails that can do wonders to a party but there is hardly anyone that has so many pallets and colors to it, for every mood you have a recipe to follow through, apart from that this drink has a rich legacy behind it. Granted it may have started to get rid of vodka in some bar in New York but the journey it has seen. A timeless drink for timeless occasions and with a back story that is not only exquisite but also a good conversation starter.

Frequently Asked Questions

 Do copper mugs make Moscow Mules taste better?

In one word, Yes, copper mugs make the Moscow mule taste much better. The taste of all the ingredients is enhanced due to copper, as we have mentioned before you can also tell real copper mugs from the fake ones if you don’t feel the flavours and the aromas dancing with your senses. Copper mugs are pivotal to the experience of a Moscow mule, once you make it for yourself, try to do an exercise where you drink this cocktail from different types of mugs and you will know the difference.

What does a Russian Moscow Mule taste like?

It’s a combination of sweet, strong, spicy, and fizz. It’s every type of flavor put in a cold copper mug, no flavor is stronger than the other and you enjoy everything equally. It’s one of those rare cocktails that have been able to balance different textures all at once.