Cocktail of the Week: The Moscow Mule
Should you be Russian to make this copper-bottomed cocktail?
“We three were quaffing a slug, nibbling an hors d’oeuvre and shoving toward inventive genius.” So said Jack Morgan, owner of Cock ’n’ Bull ginger beer and owner of a Hollywood Restaurant, of the moment that he invented the Moscow Mule – a cocktail of vodka, spicy ginger beer and lime juice.
Morgan’s head bartender, Wes Price, mixed the cocktail for him initially – said to have been concocted to shift the huge amounts of unsalable ginger beer and Smirnoff vodka in the cellar of Morgan’s bar. But what began as a drink to move by-products has become more and more popular, thanks in part to the novel way this cocktail is presented. For a Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug – the subject of fervent discussion given the metal’s poisonous qualities – but a striking look nevertheless.
To recreate this iconic drink, begin by mixing 9 parts vodka to 1 part lime juice in a mixing glass. This should fill about a third of your glass. Top up with a strong, spicy ginger beer and mix thoroughly, before pouring into your copper mug filled with crushed ice. Add a garnish of either a slice of lime or rosemary and enjoy. But remember, ensure that mug has been treated correctly – copper poisoning’s not the cocktail you should be going for.
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