The Moscow Mule is traditionally served in a copper mug and made with ginger beer and vodka.
The drink was created in the United States in the 1940s and is commonly credited to John G. Martin and Jack Morgan. Martin was promoting Smirnoff vodka, while Morgan owned the Cock ’n’ Bull restaurant in Los Angeles and had a ginger-beer business. Their combined products produced a drink that helped introduce vodka to American consumers.
The copper mug became a powerful part of the cocktail’s identity and marketing, although the vessel is not required for the recipe. Lime juice is also normally included. A Dark ’n’ Stormy uses dark rum and ginger beer, while a Kentucky Mule uses bourbon. The Moscow Mule’s name refers to vodka’s perceived Russian association, not to a drink created in Moscow.