Our Spiced Cranberry Mule is autumn in a cocktail glass.
As in, lots of warm notes that’ll keep you cozy and refreshed!
We made mulled cranberry juice and chilled it until it was ice cold.
There’s vodka, of course, but also sweetened lime juice.
And naturally, we topped it off with our favorite ginger beer.
Forgive me for saying—we think you’re absolutely going to fall for this one!
How To Make A Spiced Cranberry Mule
We have converted one of our favorite summer drinks and made it into the ideal Fall cocktail.
To simmered cranberry juice with pods of cardamom, star anise, a few cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves.
All those warming notes play very well with the tart cranberry; they’re absolutely jovial when you add the vodka.
We also added sweetened lime juice, and of course, we naturally topped the whole affair off with our favorite ginger beer.
What You Will Need
Cranberry Juice. We love OceanSpray cranberry juice cocktail; they call it a cocktail because added flavor and sugar are added to balance the flavor, and the end result is a sweeter and less tart cranberry juice.
Star Anise, Cardamom Pods, Cinnamon Sticks, and Whole Cloves. We took the warming spices typically used to make mulled wine and used them to make an infused mulled cranberry juice. Dassit!
Vodka and Sweetened Lime Juice. When making a Moscow mule, adding vodka is a standard issue. However, instead of freshly squeezed lime juice, we opted for the addition of sweetened lime juice—I think it pairs better with the spiced cranberry juice.
Ginger Beer. Listen. All ginger beers aren’t created equal. I prefer a very intense ginger beer; I figure if you’re going to go ginger, you might as well go all the way ginger. Oh, here are my favorite fermented ginger beers:
- Goya Ginger Beer. If, like me, you love a ginger beer with the kick of a mule, then this is the ginger beer you want—it’s fiery and has an intense ginger flavor, and I love it!
- East Imperial Premium Ginger Beer—This one is a bit milder but still has a bigger and bolder ginger flavor than a lot of commercial ginger beers. I love this one too!
- Fentiman’s Ginger Beer—Not as potent as its ginger flavor, but it pairs well with mixed alcoholic drinks.
- Bundaberg Ginger Beer—This is another of my favorite mild ginger beer brands, and it is a bit sweeter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when sipping on a Moscow Mule.
- Fever Tree—One of the characteristics I look for in a ginger beer is whether or not fermented ginger is used. Fermented ginger has a very specific taste, giving a ginger beer depth of flavor. Fever Tree ginger beer isn’t as intense as some other ginger beers, but it has a good, balanced flavor I enjoy.
Ingredients for Spiced Cranberry Moscow Mule
1 serving
- ice
- 2 ounces vodka—you can also use a cranberry-infused vodka
- 2 ounces mulled cranberry juice (recipe below)
- 1/2 ounce sweetened lime juice
- ginger beer
Directions for Spiced Cranberry Moscow Mule
- Add ice, vodka, mulled cranberry juice, and sweetened lime juice into a cocktail mixing glass.
- Secure the lid and shake vigorously for thirty seconds (30).
- Remove the lid, and strain into a serving glass or copper mug.
- Top with your favorite ginger beer.
- Garnish with fresh slices of orange, apple, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
- Serve.
Ingredients for Batch Serving
Serves 10
- 2 1/2 cups vodka
- 1 1/2 cups mulled cranberry juice
- 5 ounces sweetened lime juice
- 5 cups of ginger beer
Directions for Batch Serving
- Combine the ingredients without ice into a large punch bowl or pitcher.
- Stir vigorously.
- Serve over ice.
Ingredients for mulled cranberry juice
- 2 cups of cranberry juice
- 2 quarter slices of orange
- 2 quarter slices of apple
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 2 star anise pods
- 3-5 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Can I make this into a non-alcoholic drink?
Absolutely. Just omit the vodka or use one of the following spiced non-alcoholic spirits:
- Seedlip Spice 94
- Spiritless Kentucky 74 Spiced
- Kin Euphorics
Can I make this drink in a larger batch?
You can multiply the single serving by the number of guests you want to serve to replace the ounces with cups.
Regarding water, to mimic the dissolution you get from shaking the ice, add, as a general rule, 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of water per each 3-ounce drink or until you get the flavor you want.
*Note. When making batch drinks, dry mix (which means don’t add when mixing) the ingredients, then pour over ice to serve.
How long will batch drinks last?
If you are using ingredients that will degrade quickly, like fruit juice, eggs, or dairy products like cream or milk, they are good for up to two days.
On the other hand, drinks made with shelf-stable ingredients like liqueurs and syrups can last up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Also, always store premade drinks in an air-tight container to prevent bacteria from growing.
Our Spiced Cranberry Mule is the perfect holiday cocktail.
So, grab the ingredients and enjoy making this unforgettable drink.
And if you have any questions or want to say hello, drop us a comment below.
Spiced Cranberry Moscow Mule
Ingredients
Ingredients for mulled cranberry juice
- * 2 cups of cranberry juice
- * 2 quarter slices of orange
- * 2 quarter slices of apple
- * 3-4 cardamom pods
- * 2 star anise pods
- * 3-5 whole cloves
- * 1 cinnamon stick
- * 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Spiced Cranberry Moscow Mule Ingredients
- * ice
- * 2 ounces vodka—you can also use a cranberry-infused vodka
- * 2 ounces mulled cranberry juice recipe above
- * 1/2 ounce sweetened lime juice
- * ginger beer
Instructions
- Add ice, vodka, mulled cranberry juice, and sweetened lime juice into a cocktail mixing glass.
- Secure the lid and shake vigorously for thirty seconds (30).
- Remove the lid, and strain into a serving glass or copper mug.
- Top with your favorite ginger beer.
- Garnish with fresh slices of orange, apple, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
- Serve.
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