Christmas Moscow Mule with Cranberry and Ginger

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Call it a Christmas mule, a Yule Mule, or a Cranberry Moscow Mule, this festive cocktail is perfect for the holiday season. This festive twist on the traditional Moscow mule cocktail of vodka and ginger beer adds tart cranberry juice and seasonal garnishes.

A pink cocktail in glasses garnished with sugared cranberries and rosemary.

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Instructions
Tips for making holiday drinks
What to serve with a Moscow Mule
Storage
FAQs
Recipe

I love the classic version of a Moscow Mule, it's my favorite cocktail, so creating this holiday mule recipe was so much fun. The basic recipe for a Moscow mule is vodka, ginger beer, and lime.

For this pretty Christmas cocktail recipe, we'll start with the classic combination of vodka and ginger beer, but add a nice pinky-red color and tart flavor with some cranberry juice. I like black cherry cranberry juice and it's fantastic in this recipe.

If you want to make this for a Christmas party, you can't go wrong with sugared fresh cranberries and rosemary.

It's as easy as making a quick simple syrup and then coating and drying some fresh cranberries along with a few rosemary sprigs and then coating them in granulated sugar.

It gives a sparkly effect, like freshly fallen snow, and is a great addition to this holiday Moscow mule, making this perfect for this time of year.

You can also just stick to the Christmas Moscow mule recipe instead of the additional garnishes as the flavor won't change, just the looks. You could serve the drink with a lime wedge instead.

You can serve it in a copper mug like the traditional Moscow mule. The copper Moscow mule mug keeps the drink cold enhancing the flavor of the drink. I like to use a pretty cocktail glass that is see through so I can see the cocktail.

If you're a fan of Moscow mules, try more Moscow Mule variations like this Mexican mule made with tequila, a Kentucky mule with bourbon, or a London mule with gin.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

vodka: the classic Moscow mule recipe is made with vodka and that's what we'll use here. I like Tito's vodka for my vodka cocktails.
ginger beer: this is a sweetened, carbonated, and non-alcoholic beverage with a strong ginger flavor.
cranberry juice: this is the base flavor for the drink. Use your favorite cranberry juice.
simple syrup + sugar: this puts a festive spin on cranberries and rosemary, great for other holiday cocktails as well.
fresh cranberries + fresh rosemary: I buy a few bags of fresh cranberries around Thanksgiving and then freeze them until I need them. If you find rosemary too strong, just omit it. It doesn't overpower the drink and is mostly here to look like a snow-covered tree branch.

Substitutions

cranberry juice: I like black cherry cranberry juice but you can check your grocery store for other varieties of cranberry juice, like white or pink cranberry juice.
ginger beer: if spicy ginger beer is a bit too much for you, try using ginger ale instead for a milder flavor.

A plate with sugar and sugared rosemary and a bowl with sugared cranberries on a wire rack.

Instructions

Prep Tips

the sugared cranberries and rosemary will take an hour to dry out before coating in sugar so make them early in the day or the day before.

To start, we'll sugar the garnishes.

To do so, make a simple syrup which is just equal parts sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly and the sugar has dissolved.

Cranberries are added to a bowl of simple syrup.

Once the syrup is done, let it cool for 10-15 minutes, and then coat the cranberries and rosemary in the syrup.

Cranberries coated in simple syrup dry on a wire rack.

Set them on a cooling rack or wire rack to dry out a bit. They'll be sticky but the sugar will stick a bit better once the syrup has dried and really stuck to the cranberries.

Do the same with the rosemary.

Set the rosemary on the rack to dry out.

After an hour, coat the cranberries and rosemary in sugar, shaking off the excess.

The rim of a glass is rimmed with simple syrup by hand.

Rim the glass with simple syrup.

The rim of a glass is stamped into sugar.

Stamp it in sugar.

To make this drink with a cocktail shaker, add the ice, vodka, and cranberry juice to a cocktail shake. Shake for 20-30 seconds and then strain into a glass with ice. Add the ginger beer and then the garnishes. Serve.

To make the cocktail without a shaker, add ice to a glass. Add the vodka

Cranberry juice is poured into a glass with ice.

Add the cranberry juice.

Ginger beer is poured into a glass with ice and cranberry juice in it.

Add the the ginger beer.

A sprig of sugared rosemary is added to a glass with a pink cocktail in it and sugared cranberries.

Add some sugared cranberries and a sprig of rosemary and serve.

Tips for making holiday drinks

ice: start making ice a few days before to make sure you have lots on hand. Or buy a few bags of ice. Ice is great for serving but is also needed when using a cocktail shaker.
cocktail shaker: using a cocktail shaker and shaking the ingredients with ice helps chill the drink, dilute the alcohol and balance flavors and provides a light and foamy texture to the drink. You can use a jar with a lid instead or just skip it and mix the drink in a glass.
festive garnishes: a festive garnish can really put you in the holiday spirit and just looking at these photos gives me such holiday cheer. This is a great way to celebrate the season with friends and family.

A bowl with sugared cranberries on a wire rack.

What to serve with a Moscow Mule

To serve this drink at a holiday party or cocktail hour this Christmas season, serve them with a few appetizers or finger foods, like these pull-apart Christmas tree rolls, parmesan garlic fries, sweet and spicy Chex mix, a sliced samosa puff pastry braid, or air fryer portobello fries.

For variety, offer an eggnog bourbon cocktail also or a gingerbread white Russian.

If you like mule cocktails, try a Mexican Mule, made with tequila.

Storage

Because ginger beer is carbonated, this isn't a good make ahead cocktail, so make drinks as needed.

Sugared cranberries and rosemary will last a few days either at room temperature or in the fridge so they can be made ahead.

FAQs

Can I make a virgin Moscow mule with cranberry?

Yes, simply omit the alcohol to make a virgin Moscow mule, or mocktail. If serving the alcohol free drink to children, you may find they'll prefer ginger ale to ginger beer which can seem a bit strong and spicy.

Recipe

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

A pink cocktail in glasses garnished with sugared cranberries and rosemary with text for Pinterest.

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