We wish you a Berry Christmas! With seasonal red and green hues, this festive Cranberry Moscow Mule deserve an invite to every holiday event this season. Homemade cranberry simple syrup adds a sweet tang to spicy ginger beer and tart lime.
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I love the holidays. I love gift-giving and decor and the cheesiest of carols (Mariah Carey all day every day!). But it’s the treats that really make me hear angels sing. How can this many tasty things bombard us over the course of like, just one month and then disappear?
Yes, I know we are all about wholesome, healthy-ish recipes here, but also: yes to cookies, cakes, and candies; big buckets of popcorn; those weird little meat and cheese samplers; and absolutely yes to wintery craft cocktails.
You don’t need to be a treat freak to enjoy this holiday indulgence. Cranberry Moscow Mules are sweet enough to win over those of us who still eat candy canes right off the tree, but grown-up enough for those of us who scold people for eating candy canes right off the tree.
This isn’t just some Moscow Mule with cranberry juice, it’s a Moscow Mule with homemade fresh cranberry simple syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice, and depending on your preferences, the choicest of ginger beers and vodkas.
Now admittedly, the mule isn’t a go-to cocktail for me on a regular basis. But the addition of homemade cranberry simple syrup makes this not only the best Moscow Mule cocktail I’ve ever had, but one of the best cocktails for Christmas! Because in a sea of nogs and grogs, a refreshingly light and bright holiday drink sounds especially welcome.
Need more sippable holiday cheer? Check out these festive holiday cocktails: rosemary vodka gimlet, cranberry orange whiskey sour, pomegranate Prosecco punch, or red wine holiday sangria.
Cranberry Moscow Mule Ingredient Notes
✔️ Cranberry Simple Syrup: let’s all say it together now – skip the cranberry juice cocktail! Put it down (gently) and walk away. Make your homemade craft cocktail extra crafty and extra flavorful by making homemade cranberry syrup. It’s worth the additional 15 minutes for the bold flavor alone, but there’s also the added benefit of being able to adjust the sweetness to taste.
✔️ Vodka: aim for a mid-premium brand. Top shelf quality isn’t as important here as it is in a martini, for example, when the liquor is flavoring the drink, rather than just punching it up. I like Tito’s for its clean flavor profile, but Stoli and Ketel One are also great options. If you want to go really extra, look for a cranberry flavored vodka (Stoli makes one!).
✔️ Ginger Beer: despite its name, ginger beer is indeed alcohol free. Ginger beer is also not ginger ale – the former is richer, spicier, and less sweet. How gingery your ginger beer tastes is extremely subjective, but it’s a key ingredient in any mule, so don’t go bottom tier. I like my ginger beer bold and spicy, so my pick is usually Reed’s Extra Ginger Beer. Fever Tree and Q are tasty and accessible, if not slightly more expensive. For diet drinkers, some people swear by Zevia, but if you hate the taste of stevia, Diet Goslings is an ol’ reliable.
✔️ Lime Juice: we like fresh squeezed lime juice for the best flavor possible. You’re already making syrup, so go big or go home. Or just grab a bottle of lime juice, but do not use sweetened lime juice like Rose’s.
How to Make Cranberry Moscow Mules
Cranberry Moscow Mules are a sweet-and-tart, festively-hued cocktail. This classic cocktail with a twist is perfect for every holiday gathering from the neighborhood cocktail party to Christmas Day dinner. Our one big tip? Skip the cranberry juice! Seriously, just say no. Homemade cranberry simple syrup is absolutely worth the time for the added flavor and texture it brings to this homemade craft cocktail.
For a condensed post, click the view the web story for this holiday cocktail recipe.
- Make the cranberry syrup. Combine fresh cranberries with water and honey (or sugar) in a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer until the cranberries soften, then burst. Occasionally stir and crush the cranberries with a wood spoon.
- Strain the syrup. Nest a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, then pour the cranberry mixture into the seize. Press down gently with a rubber spatula to separate the syrup from the solids; discard the solids once strained.
- Cool or store the syrup. Set aside to cool to room temperature, or transfer to a bottle and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pro-Tip: if syrup thickens too much as it cools, add a tablespoon of water at a time and whisk until the consistency resembles honey.
- Mix the cranberry mule base. When you’re ready to make a cocktail, combine vodka, cranberry syrup, and lime juice in a copper mug, then stir until well combined.
- Add ice. Top off the mug with crushed ice until it’s ¾ full (crushed ice is traditional; cubes are fine, but nuggets would be better).
- Finish with ginger beer. Fill the remainder of the mug with ginger beer, then garnish with fresh cranberries, mint, and a lime wedge. Enjoy!
Cocktail Notes and Tips
- Use either ½ cup sugar or ¼ cup honey for the cranberry simple syrup. I tested cranberry mules with both, but preferred the earthier sweetness of honey with the ginger beer.
- Make the cranberry syrup in advance and refrigerate. It will thicken up significantly after chilling, so thin it out with a tablespoon of water at a time, until it reaches the consistency of honey. It holds up 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Omit the vodka to make a non-alcoholic cranberry mule. Top off the ginger beer with a bit of seltzer water or club soda to mellow out the flavors.
- For an extra layer of flavor, use cranberry vodka!
Big Batch Cranberry Moscow Mules
This recipe easily scales up for a crowd. Here’s how to convert the standard recipe below into a self-serve mule station for a cocktail party. The variations below scale up to 8 cocktails, but feel free to double it again for a larger crowd:
- Double the cranberry syrup to get about 1 cup total.
- Combine the 1 cup cranberry syrup with 2 cups vodka and a ½ cup of lime juice in a pitcher or decanter. Stir to combine, then chill.
- Set up a beverage station with an ice bucket, shot glass, several bottles of ginger beer, mugs, and small bowls of garnishes. Instruct guests to pour three “shots” of the cranberry mule mix into a glass with ice, then top with ginger beer. Stir, garnish, and serve!
Did you make this Cranberry Moscow Mule? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe Video
Cranberry Moscow Mule
Description
Ingredients
Cranberry Syrup
- 1 c fresh cranberries
- ½ c water
- ¼ c honey, or ½ c sugar
Cranberry Moscow Mule
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz cranberry syrup
- ½ oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- 6 oz ginger beer
- lime wedge, for garnish
- mint sprig, for garnish
- fresh cranberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the cranberries, water, and honey in a small saucepan and place over medium high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the cranberries soften then fall apart.
- Pour the syrup through fine mesh strainer, and press on the cranberries with a spatula to release as much syrup as possible. Set aside to cool. If the syrup thickens too much as it cools, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until the consistency resembles honey.
- To make one cocktail, Combine the vodka, cranberry syrup, and lime juice in a copper mug. Stir to combine. Fill the mug halfway with crushed ice. Pour the ginger beer over the ice and stir one more. Top with additional crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint, lime wedge, and fresh cranberries. Serve immediately. See notes for making a large-batch moscow mule cocktail station.
Recipe Notes
- Double the cranberry syrup (about 1 cup total).
- Combine the 1 cup cranberry syrup with 2 cups vodka and a ½ cup of lime juice in a pitcher or decanter. Stir to combine, then chill.
- Set up a beverage station with an ice bucket, shot glass, several bottles of ginger beer, mugs, and small bowls of garnishes. Instruct guests to pour three “shots” of the cranberry mule base into a glass with ice, then top with ginger beer. Stir, garnish, and serve!
Brenda
These were so good. I skipped the mint. I only had tea vodka-what?! So I used that and they were yummy. So easy to make the cranberry syrup too. Thanks for sharing!