5 Reasons why the Cranberry Moscow Mule is the perfect Holiday cocktail:
- When garnished with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary spears, it fits the holiday aesthetic with little fuss and minimal effort. Cheers to that!
- It's a crowd-pleasing holiday cocktail that can easily be adjusted to suit individual preferences. You know... those situations where one guest likes sweet cocktails, one doesn't, another wants extra lime, one doesn't drink alcohol, and all aunt so-and-so wants is extra vodka... and so on and so on. You understand.
- It's an easy cocktail to scale up for a crowd or down to just one or two servings.
- The sugared cranberries and the cocktail itself can be made ahead of time so when guests arrive, all you have to do is pour and serve.
- Make one batch of Cranberry Moscow Mule cocktails and another batch of non-alcocolic Cranberry Moscow Mule mocktails. If you're serving drinkers and non-drinkers, adults, kiddos and teenagers, mix up a batch of Moscow Mule cocktails and another of Moscow Mule mocktails. The recipe includes instructions for both.
Cranberries are a key ingredient in many of my favorite recipes. For example, these Shishito Pepper Tacos with Fried Cheese include a chili-spiked cranberry sauce that is TO DIE FOR.
And these Mini Cranberry Bundt Cakes are a staple at every holiday gathering from Thanksgiving through New Years Day.
During the holidays, adding cranberries to cocktails is an obvious choice. But, I particularly love them in a Moscow Mule.
The tart flavor of cranberries pairs particularly well with fresh lime and ginger beer, and makes a refreshing, dangerously drinkable, crowd pleasing cocktail that's colorful and festive.
The Ingredients for a Cranberry Moscow Mule
A traditional Moscow Mule is made from just three ingredients:
- Vodka
- Lime juice
- Ginger beer
This christmasy cranberry version begins with those those three ingredients and then adds:
- Cranberry juice
- Rosemary infused simple syrup
The rosemary infused simple syrup balances out the bitterness in the cranberry juice and infuses the cocktail with a subtle hint of rosemary that's positively delicious.
Serve Cranberry Moscow Mule cocktails in frosty copper mugs garnished with sugared cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.
What is Ginger Beer?
Ginger beer is a carbonated non-alcoholic beverage made from ginger and sugar that's fermented with yeast. It's spicy, citrusy, and aromatic, making it a perfect mix-in for a variety of cocktails.
Moscow Mules typically include 2 to 3 times more ginger beer than vodka. Because ginger beer does not contain any alcohol, this makes it easy to adjust the amount of alcohol they contain.
If you're wanting a stiff drink, bump up the vodka to ginger ratio. If you want to make them weaker, reduce the amount of vodka and increase the amount of ginger beer.
This is also the perfect cocktail to turn into a mocktail. Simply leave the vodka out altogether or replace it with a bit of club soda.
Can you use another kind of fruit juice instead of cranberry juice?
Absolutely! My favorite substitute is grapefruit juice because it has some of the bitterness of cranberry juice. Orange juice is also a good option, but will make a sweeter cocktail.
The other option is to simply add a bit more lime juice.
If you do opt for a different kind of juice, I'd still encourage you to garnish these cocktails with sugared cranberries. The process of making them is super easy and not only creates a lovely garnishment but also makes a rosemary infused simple syrup that balances the flavors in the cocktail.
How to Make Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary Infused Simple Syrup
Garnishing Cranberry Moscow Mule cocktails with sugared cranberries doesn't just make them look pretty. It also adds a burst of sweet-tart flavor.
And - bonus! - the process of making them leaves you with a bowl full of simple syrup that you can infuse with fresh rosemary.
To make the cranberries:
- Add ½ cup each of sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 6 ounces of fresh or frozen cranberries. Lay the cranberries out on a sheet of parchment paper and let them dry for an hour or so.
- Put a few spears of fresh rosemary into a small bowl and pour the sugar syrup from the saucepan over them. Let the rosemary sit in the sugar syrup until ready to mix the cocktails.
- After the cranberries have been allowed to dry for 1 hour, add them to a bowl with a bit more granulated sugar, and toss them around to coat.
That's it. Done and done. Both the sugared cranberries and the rosemary infused simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Cranberry Moscow Mule FAQs
A: The sugared cranberries will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least a week. If, after a couple of days, you notice some liquid forming on the outside of the cranberries, simply toss them around in a bit more sugar.
The rosemary simple syrup will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
You can also mix the lime juice, vodka, and cranberry juice in a pitcher or large measuring cup up to 2 days in advance and store it a covered container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply give the mixture a stir, pour it into Moscow Mule cups that have been filled with ice, top each cocktail with ginger beer, sugared cranberries and a rosemary spear, and serve.
A: Of course! Two delicious substitutes are rum and gin.
A: The Moscow Mule was invented by the owner of an LA restaurant and the owner of the Smirnoff vodka company. They most likely served the cocktail in copper mugs because they found some for cheap and they seemed like a great way to distinguish and market the cocktail.
The reason we keep serving the Moscow Mule in copper mugs is because copper is a great temperature conductor that will keep the drink nice and cold for a long time. There are also some people who swear that copper interacts with the ginger and lime to enhances the cocktail's tangy flavor.
Also, my favorite reason, it makes them look pretty.
More Festive Cocktail Recipes
- Thanksgiving Mimosa! Champagne, cranberry juice, and apple cider. Starting Thanksgiving day with a mimosa sounds like the best idea. I feel this is especially true if you're hosting Thanksgiving!
- Boulevardier {French Negroni}: Whisky, sweet vermouth, Campari
- Cherry Citrus Prosecco Spritzer: Cherry liquor, gin, lemon juice, orange juice, prosecco
- French Pear Martini: Pear vodka, elderflower liquor, champagne
- The Pepper Blossom: Gin, jalapeño, basil, elderflower liquor, grapefruit juice
- Pomegranate Margaritas: Pomegranate juice, tequila, sweetened lime juice, Cointreau
- Pomegranate Ginger Spritzer: Gin, orange liquor, sweetened lime juice, ginger, pomegranate seeds
- The Dirty Shirley: An elevated, adult spin on the classic Shirley Temple made with cherry juice, lime juice, grenadine, vodka, and lemon lime soda
- Sparkling Negroni: Gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, Prosecco
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Moscow Mule Recipe
The Cranberry Moscow Mule is a perfect crowd-pleasing Holiday cocktail. It can be prepared in advance, scaled up or down & even made without alcohol.
See the notes section below for instructions on making Moscow Mule mocktails!
Ingredients
To Make the Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary Simple Syrup:
- ½ cup (50g) + ¼ cup (25g) granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup (4oz/ 118ml) water
- 6 oz (about 2 heaping cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 4 fresh rosemary spears (one spear = a 2-3 inch stem of rosemary needles)
To Make the Moscow Mules:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (more to taste)
- 8 oz (1 cup/ 236ml) vodka
- 8 oz (1 cup/ 236ml) unsweetened cranberry juice
- 16 oz (2 cups/ 473ml) ginger beer
Instructions
Make the Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary Simple Syrup:
- Add ½ cup sugar (50g) and ½ cup (4oz/ 118ml) water to a small saucepan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring from time to time.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the cranberries. Stir to coat the cranberries in the syrup, then use a slotted spoon to remove them to a sheet of parchment paper, laying them out in one layer. Allow the cranberries to dry for 1 hour.
- Add the fresh rosemary spears to a small bowl and pour the sugar syrup from the saucepan over the spears. Let the rosemary sit in the sugar syrup until ready to mix the cocktails.
- After the cranberries have been allowed to dry for 1 hour, add them to a bowl with the remaining ¼ cup (25g) of sugar. Toss the cranberries in the sugar to coat.
Make the Cocktails:
- Fill 4 Moscow Mule mugs with ice.
- Add the lime juice, vodka, cranberry juice, and 2 tablespoons of the rosemary simple syrup to a pitcher or large measuring cup with a spout and stir. Divide between the 4 Moscow Mule mugs.
- Top each cocktail with 4 ounces (½cup/ 118ml) of ginger beer, and give each one a quick stir. Garnish each cocktail with sugared cranberries and one of the rosemary spears from the simple syrup, and serve.
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions:
The cranberries will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least a week. If, after a couple of days, you notice some liquid forming on the outside of the cranberries, simply toss them around in a bit more sugar.
The rosemary sugar syrup will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
You can also mix the lime juice, vodka, and cranberry juice in a pitcher or large measuring cup up to 2 days in advance and store it a covered container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply give the mixture a stir, pour it into Moscow Mule cups that have been filled with ice, top each cocktail with ginger beer, sugared cranberries and a rosemary spear, and serve.
How to Make Cranberry Moscow Mule Mocktails:
Follow the instructions for making the sugared cranberris and rosemary simple syrup. To make the mocktails, simply leave out the vodka and use more ginger beer or substitute a bit of club soda for the vodka.
Leave a Reply