Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule is a member of the Buck family of cocktails, a Buck cocktail is defined as a cocktail that comprises a base spirit + citrus juice + a carbonated mixer of either ginger beer or ginger ale.

It is believed that the term ‘Buck’ came about when whiskey was added to a non-alcoholic beverage called a Horse’s Neck (Ginger ale and lemon juice), the addition of whiskey gave the horse a kick, and the name evolved to Bucking Horse, and was shortened to simply Buck.

These days it appears that the popularity of the Moscow Mule has all but left it as the king of all Buck cocktails which is why sometimes you won’t even see the term Buck associated with these cocktails, instead they take on the Mule moniker.

There are many members of the Buck family of cocktails, and they can be found all over the World, the base spirit will be different, but the premise is the same. Travel through your cocktail book and you could come across a Jamaican Buck, a Kentucky Buck, an Australian Buck, an Irish Buck, a Glasgow Buck, or a London Buck to name just a few. As you have probably guessed these cocktails will be very similar but have a different base spirit.

The true origins of the Moscow Mule cocktail is less than clear, and certainly not a tale I am going to share here as there are too many conflicting accounts, the long and the short of it are that one day in the 1930s a chap had a bunch of vodka, and another chap had a bunch of ginger beer, someone else had a bunch of copper mugs…..

Anyway, they came up with the Moscow Mule which 90 years on is one of the planet’s most enjoyed cocktails and the very cocktail that put Vodka on the map in America. Vodka enjoyed huge popularity in the USA almost immediately, and today is purchased more than any other spirit in the country, however before the invention of the Moscow Mule nobody in America had heard of it, much less tasted it.

While the origins of the Moscow Mule remain highly contested, what is clear is that this cocktail is very tasty and goes down a treat. The ginger beer is what adds the flavour so choose your ginger beer carefully, I personally like a strong ginger beer especially in this drink as it adds so much character. A copper mug is best for this cocktail, but a Collins glass will do just as well.

60ml Vodka

15ml Fresh Lime Juice

10ml Sugar Syrup

90ml Ginger Beer

Pour the first three ingredients into your glass, stir and fill the glass 2/3 with crushed ice, pour in the Ginger Beer and top off with crushed ice. Serve with a straw and garnish with a Lime wedge and Mint leaves.