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Christmas Mule

This festive cocktail delivers everything you want in a holiday drink: bold, comforting spice, a refreshing kick, and enough visual appeal to make your guests think you actually planned ahead. The Christmas Mule brings together just five ingredients to create a drink that tastes like the holidays in a glass.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Course: Drinks and Beverages
Cuisine: American Cocktail
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 2 ounces vodka premium quality preferred
  • 4 ounces ginger beer preferably a spicy brand like Fever Tree or Gosling's
  • 2 ounces cranberry juice unsweetened or lightly sweetened
  • 0.5 ounce fresh lime juice squeezed from half a lime
  • 1 fresh lime wheel for garnish
  • Ice cubes as needed to fill the glass
  • Crystallized ginger pieces optional garnish

Equipment

  • Cocktail shaker or mason jar
  • Jigger or measuring shot glass
  • Bar spoon or long spoon
  • Highball glass
  • Strainer
  • Cutting board and knife for lime
  • Citrus juicer

Method
 

  1. Pull out your vodka, ginger beer, and cranberry juice and place them near your workspace. If you have time, chill your highball glass in the freezer for five minutes.
  2. Add a generous handful of ice cubes to your chilled highball glass, filling it about three-quarters of the way.
  3. Using a jigger, pour exactly 2 ounces of vodka into your glass over the ice.
  4. Pour 2 ounces of cranberry juice directly into the glass, allowing it to layer slightly with the vodka.
  5. Cut a lime in half and squeeze 0.5 ounce of fresh juice directly into the glass, using a citrus juicer if you have one to maximize extraction.
  6. Pour 4 ounces of ginger beer slowly into the glass, pouring it gently down the side to preserve carbonation rather than losing bubbles to foam.
  7. Using a bar spoon or long spoon, stir the drink gently for about 5 seconds to marry the flavors without aggressively releasing carbonation.
  8. Place a fresh lime wheel on the rim or float it on top of the drink as a garnish. If you want extra holiday flair, add a piece or two of crystallized ginger on the rim for both flavor and visual appeal, then serve immediately.

Notes

Use quality ginger beer that actually has bite to it rather than ginger ale. Squeeze your lime juice fresh rather than using bottled juice for best results. Chill your glass beforehand if possible to reduce ice melt. Pour the ginger beer last and slowly to maximize carbonation. Make this drink no more than two minutes before serving to preserve carbonation. For batch cocktails, multiply the recipe and mix everything except the ginger beer in a large pitcher, then top each glass with ginger beer individually right before serving.