Back in the Soviet era, Russia, much like today, didn’t have much to export except natural resources, communism and weapons to places unfriendly to the West. What they did have is plenty of vodka.
Vodka a colorless, odorless, tasteless alcohol made from cheap materials and without any need for costly aging. Vodka, the cheap, plentiful drink that kept the masses in a continuous stupor to escape the drab, joyless existence under Communist rule. As my high school, history of Russia teacher would say, when the vodka ran out there was always shoe polish spread on a piece of bread “cooked” on the radiator.
The Moscow Mule actually pre-dates the Soviet Era in Russia and the second coming of today’s fad over Moscow Mules pre-dates Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
The history of the Moscow Mule goes all the way back to 1941 a trio of entrepreneurs – each with one of the major ingredients – vodka, ginger beer and the gimmick – the copper mug.
The mug is attributed to Russian immigrant Sophie Berezinski who had boxes of copper mugs to unload. Back in Russia where Sophie’s father owned and operated a copper factory known as the Moscow Copper Co. Sophie had created the design for the original copper mug, similar to the one you see today with the hammered design.
The vodka came from the owner of the failing Smirnoff Vodka distillery at a time when America had no interest in vodka. John Martin had purchased the floundering Smirnoff Vodka distillery in the 1930’s right before prohibition. As the head of G.F. Heublein & Brothers (a food and spirits importer that made A1 steak sauce popular), he couldn’t move the vodka. The ginger beer came a friend of John Martin, Jack Morgan who as the owner of the Cock ‘n’ Bull bar was having trouble selling his brand of ginger beer. Three people with the same problem, they just couldn’t sell their individual products.
Then a Russian immigrant walked into a bar…
Sofia happened to walk into the Cock and Bull at the same time Jack and John were commiserating about their lack of sales. As the story goes, Sophie, John and Jack worked on variations of a drink using John’s vodka, Jack’s ginger beer and Sophie’s copper mug – the gimmick that would sell the drink – and the rest is history.
Today Moscow Mules and variants using ginger beer and all served in copper mugs are standards on cocktail menus across the world. And they make bar owners very happy because according to trade publications for the bar industry, the Moscow Mule is one of the most profitable drinks on the menu. The ingredients are cheap, easy to make and the copper mug elevates the price.
In the history of cocktails, adding booze to ginger ale or ginger beer isn’t all that special. Buck cocktails were around at the time. What elevated the Moscow Mule to celebrity status was the gimmick of the copper mug.
Moscow Mule Recipe
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces vodka
- 3/4 ounce lime juice
- 4 ounces ginger beer
Garnish: lime wheel
A Moscow Mule is a buck cocktail:
– Wikipedia
A buck is a cocktail that is made with ginger ale or ginger beer, citrus juice, and any of a number of base liquors. Buck cocktails are sometimes called “mules” due to the popularity of a vodka buck that is known as a Moscow Mule.
The buck is believed to have gotten its name when someone added a shot of whiskey to the previously non-alcoholic Horse’s Neck, which consisted of ginger ale with lemon juice. The added alcohol gave the horse a “kick” – hence, a bucking horse.
Horse’s Neck Recipe
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- ginger ale or soda
Garnish: long, loopy lemon peel