Strawberry Moscow mule

This strawberry Moscow mule is a lovely gently fruity twist on the classic vodka and ginger beer cocktail. It's easy to make, crisp and refreshing with a gentle fruity edge.

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I don't know about you, but I tend to find that more spirit-forward cocktails feel a great fit in colder weather, while longer drinks are great when it's warm. A Moscow mule definitely falls in the latter category, and especially with the strawberry addition here, it's just the thing for summer sipping.

I'll be honest, vodka is not normally high on my list to use in cocktails. I don't generally feel that it adds that much, plus there's the memories of endless toasts during some visits to Russia. That said, it does work well in mules which were, in fact, created just for it.

The origins of the Moscow mule

Despite the name, the Moscow mule is in fact very much an American cocktail. And unlike some classics that have different claims over how or who created it, the background is actually not debated.

The drink came about as the result of three people each trying to figure out how to solve their own problem, meeting by chance in a pub, and finding a solution that solved all three.

Jack Morgan was the owner of the Cock 'n' Bull pub and was trying to find a way to sell his own brand of ginger beer. John Martin had bought the rights to Smirnoff in the US but was struggling to get it to take off in a market dominated by beer and whiskey. And Sophie Berezinski had immigrated from Russia with a pile of copper mugs she had designed, and her father made in his factory, but hadn't been able to sell.

What started as sharing of woes ended up with testing and coming up with a cocktail to use both vodka and ginger beer, in a copper mug that kept it cool. And so the Moscow mule was born.

Adding a hint of strawberry

These have all the classic components of the original drink with the addition of fresh strawberries to add a gently berry flavor.

The simplest way to prepare these is just to muddle the strawberries in a glass with the lime to break them up. However you can still end up with chunks of fruit in the end drink doing this, which can be fine but doesn't appeal to all.

An alternative is to blend up the strawberries into a puree, but this obviously uses a few more tools and is not as easy if you just want one drink. For multiple, though, I would definitely recommend it, as it will end up quicker in the end and you will get a smoother (and likely more berry-flavored) drink.

If your strawberries are not sweet, then you may want to add a little sweetener. Though bear in mind this is not a particularly sweet drink. You can either add a little simple syrup (no more than about ½tbsp, 7.5ml should be fine) or else sprinkle a small amount of sugar over the berries to macerate a few minutes before you muddle or blend them.

If you enjoy strawberries in your cocktails, be sure to also try my strawberry caipirinha, or my strawberry bellini. Also try this virgin strawberry daiquiri or my strawberry lassi for non-alcoholic options.

This strawberry Moscow mule is a lovely, refreshing drink with a gentle berry flavor that pairs well with the ginger and lime. It's easy, cooling and great for sipping on a warm day.

Try these other refreshing, fruity cocktails:

• Watermelon mojito
• Raspberry Collins cocktail
• Blackberry margarita
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

Need some copper Mule mugs? I used these Moscow mule mugs and have been very happy with them (affiliate link).

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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