This fun twist on the traditional Moscow Mule cocktail adds just the right touch of fall flavor to your holiday season. This refreshing cranberry Moscow mule recipe features freshly squeezed orange juice, vodka, cranberry juice, and spicy ginger beer.
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When my family gets together for turkey day (or Christmas), we're always on the hunt for the most delicious Thanksgiving drinks. We've tried apple cider sangria, cranberry apple sangria and even warm mulled wine.
You can't go wrong with any of those, but I'm such a sucker for moscow mules. It's such an easy recipe and the ginger taste and fresh lime is so delicious. A frosty glass of this cranberry juice cocktail in a cold copper mug is perfect this time of year. It will become your favorite drink for your holiday gatherings or Thanksgiving menu.
Cranberry Moscow Mule
The cranberry flavor in this recipe makes them the perfect cocktail for holiday parties. The cranberry flavor in this recipe makes them so festive. Cranberry is so tart and sweet and a great flavor for any drink or dessert (hellooo crustless cranberry pie). We love to start and finish the meal with cranberry!
Ingredient Notes
- Vodka: this is the traditional liquor used in moscow mules and we love using Titos. It's gluten free, high quality and pretty mild in taste. Keep reading for a few alcohol variations.
- Fresh orange juice: we're going to be using about 1 large orange for the juice, but I recommend purchasing two or three oranges so you can slice some as a garnish.
Juice from 1 lime - Fresh lime juice:I highly recommend buying fresh limes and squeezing them yourself. It makes all the difference in the taste of this festive cocktail. The juice from the bottle just isn't the same. Like the oranges, buy a few extra to slice and garnish.
- Pure cranberry juice: As the name suggests, this is the key ingredient. We prefer unsweetened cranberry juice because ginger beer is pretty sweet. However, you can substitute a cranberry cocktail if you want a sweeter drink.
- Ginger beer: despite the name, ginger beer doesn't actually have any alcohol in it. It's kinda like root beer in that way. We used the brand name from our local grocery store, but all brands are great, so use your favorite ginger beer.
- Garnishes: fresh cranberries, a sprig of rosemary, lime wheel, orange slices, pomegranates, and/or cinnamon sticks.
How to Make a Cranberry Moscow Mule
- Add the vodka, fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice to a cocktail shaker and shake well until combined. You could also use a large glass and stir it with a spoon.
- Pour the cocktail evenly into 4 glasses filled with ice. Preferably copper mugs. Top each glass with ginger beer to the rim then garnish with cranberries, orange slices, pomegranates or cinnamon sticks
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Recipe Variations
- Make it sweeter: make a quick simple syrup by boiling water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add that to the cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients.
- Gin Mule: swap the vodka with your favorite brand of gin.
- Mexican Cranberry Mule: swap the vodka for your favorite tequila.
- Apple Cider Moscow Mule: swap the cranberry juice for apple cider and use apples and cinnamon sticks as a garnish.
- Non-alcoholic: Substitute club soda for the alcohol. instead of shaking it with the juices, add it to the end with the ginger beer.
- Make it spicy: add a slice of jalapeno to the mix when you shake it. The longer you shake it, the more spicy it will get! Especially if you add a slice as a garnish.
FAQs
If you prefer a more mild ginger flavor, you can use Ginger Ale instead.
There is little to no difference in the American Mule verse the Moscow mule. The only link this classic drink has with Russia is vodka originated there. However, this drink itself was created in the US. The American Mule is sometimes used to refer to variations on the classic (like this recipe!) or if it uses an American vodka.
A few of my favorite juice swaps are apple cider, apple juice, pineapple juice, or pomegranate juice.
Moscow Mule Tips
- Serve them in a frosty copper mug. Not only do they look fancy, but it also helps keep them cold. We bought a set of 4 copper mugs from Amazon (affiliate links).
- Don't add the ginger beer until right before serving. The ginger beer could go flat if you add it too early.
- Get fancy with your garnishes. This is part of the fun of the cocktail and really impresses guests with little to no effort.
More Cranberry Recipes
- Cranberry Margaritas
- Cranberry Apple Sangria
- Healthy Cranberry Sauce (Naturally Sweetened)
- Crock Pot Cranberry Meatballs
Cranberry Moscow Mule
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (6 oz) vodka (I recommend Titos)
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice about 1 large orange, plus more for garnish
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lime juice about 1 lime, plus more for garnish
- 1 ¼ cups cranberry juice (unsweetened or cranberry cocktail if you want it more sweet)
- About 2 cans of ginger beer for topping
- Garnishes: fresh cranberries, orange slices, lime wedge, rosemary, pomegranates and cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Add the vodka, fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice to a cocktail shaker and shake well until combined. You could also use a large glass and stir it with a spoon.
- Pour the cocktail evenly into 4 glasses filled with crushed ice. Preferably copper mugs. Top each glass with ginger beer to the rim then garnish with cranberries, orange slices, pomegranates or cinnamon sticks
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