Name: Cranberry Moscow Mule
Prep time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2oz Vodka; 1oz Lime Juice (1/2 lime); 2oz Cranberry Juice; 2oz Ginger Beer; 1 Lime Wedge (garnish); Cranberries (garnish); Cranberries (garnish); 1 Rosemary Sprig; 1 Rosemary Sprig; Ice cubes; Ice cubes

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For a sweet and festive cocktail this holiday season, make a delicious Cranberry Moscow Mule!

This fun cranberry mule combines vodka, cranberry juice, and lime juice for a tart and refreshing beverage that’s perfect for enjoying around Christmastime!

You’ll love this cocktail’s beautiful red color, which provides a festive spin on the traditional Moscow Mule drink.

With a wintry garnish, this cocktail is sure to be a major hit at holiday parties and gatherings this season!

Cranberry moscow mule in a copper mug surrounded by ingredients.

This festive holiday cocktail combines the flavors of lime, cranberry, and ginger for a cold and crisp beverage!

Why You’ll Love this Cranberry Mule

Whether you need a festive red cocktail for a Christmas party or you’re just looking for a new spin on the classic Moscow Mule, this light and fizzy cocktail will get the job done!

It’s great as a holiday cocktail with its combination of cranberry juice and ginger beer. And like all of our cocktail recipes, it’s so easy to make and only requires a few ingredients!

Break out a Moscow Mule mug for this beautiful drink featuring fresh cranberries. You can also make a Cranberry Moscow Mule pitcher if you need a large batch for a party or celebration.

Another elegant drink to serve at holiday parties is this Poinsettia Cocktail, or our Cranberry Apple Mimosas – serve in a fancy cocktail glass. It’s a pretty deep pink drink with vodka, champagne and cranberry juice.

Or, how about this coconut rimmed Santa Clausmopolitan? Your Cosmo lovers will appreciate this one. You can find our whole roundup of vodka Christmas cocktails right here.

Enjoy this holiday drink alongside your favorite appetizers to make the end of the year feel special!

Ingredients for Cranberry Moscow Mule Cocktail

Ingredients for cranberry moscow mule on a counter.

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to create this basic but delicious cranberry mule cocktail!

Vodka – any vodka works fine; I like to choose something with a slightly higher price point for a really smooth cocktail.
Lime Juice – a staple mule ingredient, this will add a pop of sharp citrus flavor.
Cranberry Juice – provides a gorgeous red color and a sweet and tart cranberry flavor that makes this drink so perfect to serve around the holidays.
Ginger Beer – another essential for any mule cocktail, this will add some fizziness and a subtle but spicy ginger flavor.
Lime Wedge – for garnish.
Cranberries – another garnish that emphasizes the festive cranberry flavor. I prefer fresh over frozen cranberries, but either should work just fine!
Rosemary Sprig – adds color contrast and and aromatic flavor.
Ice Cubes – even in the winter, this cranberry mule is best enjoyed cold!

How to make a Cranberry Moscow Mule

Add ice cubes to a copper mug.

Serving your cranberry mule in a copper mug ensures that it stays colder much longer.
Pour in the vodka and cranberry juice, then top with ginger beer.
Ginger beer is the crucial ingredient for Moscow Mule cocktails that gives them a bubbly lift and a kick of yummy ginger flavor.
Squeeze in the lime juice.
Fresh lime juice provides a distinct and sharp punch of citrus flavor!
Add lime wedge, cranberries and rosemary for garnish. Serve in pretty copper mugs like these for an authentic mule experience!

FAQs

What is the Moscow Mule Origin?

Not actually hailing from Moscow, this cocktail is reported to have been created in 1941 at the Cock n’ Bull pub in Los Angeles.

There’s some contention over which person actually created it–John G. Martin, the owner of the pub, claims it was his work combined with a man named Jack Morgan. But Wes Price, the pub’s head bartender at the time, also lays claim to the drink.

The name is said to come from the American tendency to associate vodka with Russia combined with the ginger beer that gives it a “kick” of flavor, like a mule.

Why is a Moscow Mule served in copper?

Copper is a good conductor of temperature, so when a cold cocktail is served in a copper mug it takes on the temperature of the drink and keeps it colder for much longer.

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Can I make a pitcher of Cranberry Moscow Mules?

Absolutely! This recipe can be made in much larger portions, as long as the proportions of the ingredients are kept relatively the same.

Making a mule pitcher is a great way to easily prepare lots of drinks at once for a party or to pass and serve at a holiday meal.

Is there a difference between cranberry juice and cranberry juice cocktail?

There is, and it could make or break your cocktail! 100% cranberry juice has no additional sweeteners and is labeled with “100% juice.” Cranberry cocktail, on the other hand, is sweetened artificially, typically with added sugars or corn syrup.

Aside from not being as good for you, it may actually be too sweet for this cranberry mule cocktail. Go for the 100% juice for best results.

What to serve with Cranberry Moscow Mules?

To lean into that cranberry flavor, serve your cocktails with Cranberry Brie Bites or a Cranberry Christmas Cake. Other festive options include our Pine Cone Cheese Ball, or this yummy White Chocolate Bark for sweet snacking.

Cranberry moscow mule on a counter with ingredients.

You’ll love serving this cranberry mule for the holidays! Top with fun garnishes for a cheerful and exciting presentation.

Popular Moscow Mule Variations and Substitutions

Make this an Apple Cranberry Moscow Mule by including a splash of apple juice and an apple wedge as garnish.
For some other fun garnishes, try mint leaves, other berries, or some colorful holiday straws or other festive paper decorations.
Club soda can be substituted for vodka to make this cranberry mule non-alcoholic. You could also just omit the vodka.
Rum is a great vodka substitute that pairs well with the flavors of this cocktail, but you could also try it with gin.
To keep your drink colder for even longer, use frozen cranberries instead of fresh ones!
Bottled lime juice can be used in a pinch, but the best flavor will come from freshly squeezed juice.

Holiday Cranberry Mule Cocktail

Yield: 1 cocktail