A Moscow mule is a buck or
mule cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice,
garnished with a slice or wedge of lime. It is usually served in a copper mug.
It became popular during the vodka craze in the United States during the 1950s.
The name refers to the popular perception of vodka as a Russian product.
History
The cocktail was invented in 1941 by John G.
Martin of G.F. Heublein Brothers, Inc., an East Coast spirits and food
distributor, and "Jack" Morgan, President of Cock 'n' Bull Products
(which produced ginger beer) and proprietor of the Cock 'n' Bull restaurant onSunset
Boulevard in Los Angeles popular with celebrities.
George Sinclair (2007)
quotes from an article run in the New York Herald Tribune:
The mule was born in Manhattan but
"stalled" on the West Coast for the duration. The
birthplace of "Little Moscow" was in New York's Chatham Hotel. That was back in
1941 when the first carload of Jack Morgan's Cock 'n' Bull ginger beer was
railing over the plains to give New Yorkers a happy surprise…
The Violette Family helped.
Three friends were in the Chatham bar, one John A. Morgan, known as Jack,
president of Cock 'n' Bull Products and owner of the Hollywood Cock 'n' Bull
Restaurant; one was John G. Martin, president of G.F. Heublein Brothers Inc. of
Hartford, Conn., and the third was Rudolph Kunett, president of the Pierre
Smirnoff, Heublein's vodka division. As Jack Morgan tells it, "We three
were quaffing a slug, nibbling an hors d'oeuvre and shoving toward inventive
genius". Martin and Kunett had their minds on their vodka and wondered
what would happen if a two-ounce shot joined with Morgan's ginger beer and the
squeeze of a lemon. Ice was ordered, lemons procured, mugs ushered in and the
concoction put together. Cups were raised, the men counted five and down went
the first taste. It was good. It lifted the spirit to adventure. Four or five
later the mixture was christened the Moscow Mule...
According to an article in
1942's Insider Hollywood, the Moscow Mule was most popular in Los Angeles. The
Nevada State Journal(12 October 1943) reinforced the mule's popularity in
reporting: "Already the Mule is climbing up into the exclusive handful of
most-popular mixed drinks". It became known as a favourite drink of Reno
casino owner William F. Harrah. In his 1964 book Beat the
Dealer, Edward O. Thorp did not name the Tahoe casino
where he thought he had been poorly treated as a card
counter. He said "I went to the bar and had a Moscow Mule", which
was a subtle hint that the location was Harrah's Tahoe, due to Harrah's then
well-known proclivity for the drink.
In 2012 a Moscow Mule kit that
included Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer was included as part of Oprah
Winfrey's Favorite Things list.
Our Moscow Mules 16 oz . Barrel Style Copper
Moscow Mule Mug is the perfect vessel for the Moscow Mule or any other beverage
you want to keep icy cold.
This copper Moscow Mule Mug
features a barrel shape and handle and has an antique charm with its solid copper
exterior, nickel lining and is sealed with a protective, tarnish-resistant
coating. We recommend only hand washing your new copper mug.
This 16 oz . Barrel Style Copper
Mug is part of the Moscow Mules collection of unique drink ware. Our decorative
white gift packaging includes our favorite Moscow Mule cocktail recipe and is
the perfect presentation for the cocktail enthusiasts. If you are looking for
gifts for cocktail lovers, look no further than the Moscow Mules brand copper
mug with gift box.
This beautiful copper mug
with nickel lining measures 4
inches by 3 inches by 3 inches and holds 16 oz . of your Moscow Mule
cocktail or any other icy alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. Copper mugs are
hands down the best choice for mixing up your favorite Moscow Mule recipe. This
Moscow Mule Mug is a perfect way to serve beverages at your next party keep
them icy cold and add a vintage touch to your décor.
The Moscow Mule cocktail was
conceived in 1941 by John Martin, an East coast spirits and food distributor or
G.F. Heublein Brothers, Inc., and Jack Morgan, a ginger beer manufacturer that
owned Cock 'n' Bull restaurant in Los Angeles, and Rudolph Kunett, president of
the Pierre Smirnoff, G.F. Heublein's vodka division. The Moscow Mule was
christened and has more recently been popularized by references spanning from
the hit TV show Mad Men to Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things.
