I have become addicted to mules! Well, not addicted, because that presupposes that I am an alcoholic and can’t contain my drinking. But mules have moved right up there in preference with lemon drop martinis.
You might ask, what’s a mule? I could tell you stories of going to Texas as a child – often, because my mother was from East Texas – and going out with my cousins to ride the mules. They always gave me the boney-backed one. And we always came in with ticks and chiggers. Not a pleasant memory.
But I digress. Here is the definition of a mule, which can be found in any online reference.
- The sterile offspring of a female horse and a male donkey, valued as a work animal, having strong muscles, a body shaped like a horse, and donkey-like long ears, small feet, and sure-footedness.
- Any hybrid between the donkey and the horse.
- A very stubborn person.
- Any sterile hybrid.
- A person paid to carry or transport contraband, especially drugs, for a smuggler.
- A small locomotive used for pulling rail cars, as in a coal yard or on an industrial site, or for towing, as of ships through canal locks.
- Also called “spinning mule,” a machine for spinning cotton or other fibers into yarn and winding the yard on spindles.
- A large triangular staysail set between two masts and having its clew set well aft. (You need to know some nautical terms for this definition.)
- A hybrid coin having the obverse of one issue and the reverse of the succeeding issue, or vice versa. (You need to be super smart to know the terms of this definition.)
- A hybrid, especially one between the canary and some other finch. (Go figure. A mule bird!)
Really, What Is A Mule?
Not found in this particular definition of “mule” is the reason for this article. A mule is a refreshing drink that delivers a kick! And it is served in a copper mug.
What’s In A Name? And What’s Up With That Mug?
Stolen from a newspaper article, I offer the following history of the Moscow Mule.
The tale of the Moscow Mule is a pretty simple one — and it all points to the vodka that’s in the cocktail. Back in the 1940s, vodka was an unpopular liquor on the American cocktail scene. Apparently, Americans joked that vodka was Russian for horrible. Taking a leap of faith, John G. Martin had bought the U.S. rights to the French Smirnoff brand in 1939. He unfortunately found that he couldn’t move the stuff. No one was drinking vodka.
One somber afternoon, Martin was lamenting his inability to sell his booze at the L.A. bar Cock ‘n’ Bull with the owner, Jack Morgan. Morgan had a similar problem, but with ginger beer. There was another hard-up businessman present who had an abundance of copper mugs he couldn’t move either.
With a few drinks under their belt, a little bit of ingenuity and a bartender on hand they put their problems together and came up with the Moscow Mule — a vodka and ginger beer cocktail served in copper mugs. They marketed the cocktail like crazy and lo and behold, it took off. From then on, vodka was accepted in the American cocktail scene.
The Recipe!
A Moscow mule is a cocktail made with vodka, spicy ginger beer, and lime juice, garnished with a slice or wedge of lime. The Moscow mule is popularly served in a copper mug.
- 4 ounces Ginger beer (NOT ginger ale!)
- 1 1/2 ounces Vodka
- 1/6 ounce Lime juice
Combine ingredients and pour into a copper mug filled with ice. Garnish with lime slice.
But What About That Copper Mug?
It’s all about the temperature. According to experts (!) for centuries, the best drinkers have known that chilled drinks served in copper cups offer an extra-cool sensation, due to the metal quickly taking on the icy temperature of the cocktail.
In Closing
Take a trip around the globe. Enjoy a Jamaican Mule (use rum instead of vodka), a Mezcal or Mexican Mule (use tequila), a Kentucky mule (bourbon), or an Irish mule (Irish whiskey). Or experiment by adding flavored liquors. Google it.