The Moscow Mule was promoted with a copper mug after a 1941 marketing campaign involving John G. Martin and Jack Morgan.
The drink typically combines vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. Martin was a spirits distributor trying to popularize vodka in the United States, while Morgan owned the Cock ’n’ Bull restaurant in Los Angeles and had an interest in ginger beer. Their collaboration helped create a highly recognizable serving ritual.
The copper mug became central to the cocktail’s image and marketing. It also keeps the drink cold, although the mug is not what defines the recipe by itself. The Moscow Mule’s name refers to the perceived strength of vodka’s market advance rather than to a Russian origin.
Variations replace vodka with other spirits. A Kentucky Mule uses bourbon, while a Mexican Mule uses tequila. These are related drinks, but the classic Moscow Mule uses vodka as its base spirit.