This Cranberry Moscow Mule is a fun cocktail for the holiday season! A fun spin on the classic cocktail, it's so easy to make with ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice.

Moscow mules are traditionally made with vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer. They were originally invented in the 1940's and are popular today served in a copper mug.
Ingredients You'll Need:
Here's what you need to make a Cranberry Moscow Mule:
- Vodka
- Ginger Beer - Ginger beer is non-alcoholic. You can find it at liquor stores or even grocery stores in the drink aisle.
- Lime Juice - I prefer the flavor of fresh, but you can use bottled as well
- Cranberry Juice Cocktail - for a less sweet, tarter, cocktail you can use 100% cranberry juice instead
- Garnishes - Lime wedges, fresh cranberries, fresh rosemary
Step by Step Instructions
This cranberry holiday cocktail recipe is fun, festive, and easy to make! You can mix up one drink in a mug or make a whole batch in a pitcher.
- Mix Cocktail - Add the vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice, and ginger beer to a mug. Stir. You can give it a taste and adjust to your taste. I like to use a shot glass to measure all of the ingredients. If you're making a big batch, you can use a measuring cup to measure out the ingredients into a pitcher.
- Taste and Adjust - I like to give it a taste. Not strong enough? Add a little more vodka. Too strong? Add more ginger beer or cranberry juice.
- Garnish and Serve - Add ice to the mug and top with garnishes of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Moscow mules have traditionally been served in copper mugs. Not only are copper mugs fun for serving, but they also add to the experience due to the frostiness of the cold mug. The copper mug helps keep the mule frosty and chilled longer than a glass.
Although they both have ginger flavors, I do not recommend substituting ginger ale. Ginger beer gives a stronger finish and flavor to cocktails. But don't worry, ginger beer is non-alcoholic so you can easily find it at most grocery stores!
Variations
A simple Moscow mule is just vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice but there are so many spins you can make on it!
- Other Fruit Juices - Instead of the cranberry juice, try another fruit juice!
- Garnishes - Garnishing each mug makes them presentation worthy for your next holiday party! I love fresh cranberries (or other berries), lime wedges, or sprigs of fresh rosemary.
- Non-Alcoholic - To make a cocktail, you can omit the vodka and add extra ginger beer (which is non-alcoholic) or a splash of club soda
- Another Liquor - While vodka is the classic choice, rum is a great swap!
Recipe Tips
- Stir don't shake - No need to shake up this cocktail. Just give it a quick stir.
- Easily make just 1 or a whole pitcher - The recipe is written using 'part' as the unit of measure. So you can use a shot glass to measure if you're making one at a time, or use a larger measuring cup to make a whole batch.
- Mix in Ginger Beer or Top Off in Glasses - If you're making a big batch in a pitcher, you can either mix everything in the pitcher or you can hold the ginger beer and instead top if off when pouring into individual mugs or glasses.
Other Holiday Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mulled Wine - Mulled wine is red wine that has been spiced and slightly sweetened. Making a batch in the crock pot is so easy!
- Candied Pecans - Sweet, salty, and crunchy. They’re made with just a few pantry staples and only minutes of active prep time.
- Puff Pastry Brie Bites - Easy appetizer that use only 4 ingredients. They’re perfect for your next holiday party and there are lots of variation ideas.
- Brussels Sprout Salad with Pears - This raw brussels sprout salad requires no cooking, only 5 ingredients (plus the simple dressing), and is great for the holidays. Fresh, bright, and loaded with texture.
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PrintCranberry Moscow Mule
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Cranberry Moscow Mule is a fun cocktail for the holiday season! A fun spin on the classic cocktail, it's so easy to make with ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice.
Ingredients
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part cranberry juice cocktail
- 3 parts ginger beer
- ½ part lime juice
- Lime Wedges, Fresh Cranberries, Rosemary Sprigs, for garnishing
Instructions
- Mix Cocktail - To make one mule, add the cocktail ingredients to a mug. You can use a shot glass to measure everything (one shot glass = one part). Stir and taste - adjusting to suit your tastes.
- Garnish and Serve - Top the mug with ice and garnishes of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
When mixing just one or two cocktails, it's easy to just use a shot glass for measuring. 1 shot glass (1.5 ounces) = 1 part. If you're making a big batch, then you can use a different measuring cup (such as a ½ cup) to add the ingredients to a pitcher.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 199
- Sugar: 23.5 g
- Sodium: 15.8 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Cranberry Moscow Mule, Moscow Mule Recipe, Holiday Cocktail Recipe, Cranberry Cocktail recipe
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