MULE SEASON

HOW THE MOSCOW MULE AND ITS MANY VARIATIONS CAN TAKE YOU FROM SUMMER TO FALL

By Matt Ingersoll

A staple of cocktail bars for nearly a century, the Moscow mule is known for its simplicity and versatility. Starting with just three ingredients — vodka, ginger beer and lime juice — mules lend themselves to countless variations among the alcohol and flavors used.

“We go through quite a bit of mules,” said Jerry Bourassa, general manager of CR’s The Restaurant in Hampton, which has featured all types of seasonally inspired takes on the drink. “I definitely think the name itself has been pretty well established, as far as classic cocktails go.

Despite what its name may suggest, the Moscow mule was not actually invented in Moscow, nor does it have anything to do with mules. Seacoast-area bar managers and mixologists talk about the unique spins they’ve made on the traditional mule and provide some tips on how to create the best flavor profiles.

THE COPPER MUG

Moscow mules have famously become omnipresent over the years with the copper mug as their drinking vessel — a story that also originates in early 1940s Hollywood.

According to a spokesperson for the Moscow Copper Co., the first Moscow mule ever made came in a copper mug, courtesy of a Russian immigrant named Sophie Berezinski. Ted Haigh, author of the 2004 book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, writes that Berezinski had inherited a copper manufacturing business when she came to the United States.

Using Smirnoff vodka and home-brewed ginger beer from Cock’n Bull Pub owner Jack Morgan, the first mule was poured in one of Berezinski’s more than 2,000 copper mugs she had brought overseas in an attempt to sell.

It wouldn’t be long before it was discovered that the copper mug was effective at maintaining the cold temperature of the drink. Today the copper mug remains common, although you’ll sometimes see it plated on the inside with nickel or stainless steel.