Jump to Recipe
Filled with Flavour
Food & travel Blog
Food
Travel
Holistic Health
About
About usContact
Food
 > 
Drinks

Christmas Moscow Mule

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

This Christmas Moscow Mule or Yule Mule is a festive spin on the classic cocktail. It’s fresh and delicious with cranberries, ginger beer, lime and of course a generous shot of vodka to keep the holiday cheer alive. Serve it in a copper mug for that classic look. You can even make a super simple virgin version so everyone can join in the holiday spirit. 

What is a Moscow Mule?

A Moscow Mule is a classic cocktail that’s made with ginger beer, vodka and lime juice. It’s traditionally served in copper mugs that help keep the drink cold. 

Moscow Mule cocktails are super simple to make because you can mix everything in the mug or glass you’ll be drinking out of. No fancy cocktail shaker required for this recipe! Alternatively, you can make it in bulk in a large pitcher and just pour it over ice to quickly serve a crowd. 

To spruce up this classic drink we’ve added some cranberry juice. Cranberries add a delicious sweet and tart flavour to this festive beverage. And is there a more festive berry than a cranberry? Serve this light and refreshing cocktail at your next Christmas party and you’ll be singing along with those carols in no time!

What do you need for this Holiday Cocktail?

  • Vodka: A classic Moscow Mule needs vodka to turn it into a proper cocktail. You don’t need the super fancy stuff since you’ll be mixing it with all the other ingredients. 
  • Ginger Beer: Despite the name ‘beer’ this drink actually contains no alcohol. Make sure not to confuse it with ‘ginger ale’, this tastes very different and is more sweet and less gingery. Ginger beer has more of a spicy ginger kick and also adds some fizz to your drink. 
  • Cranberry juice: I like to use the regular kind because the sugar free version contains artificial sweeteners. Even better if you can find 100% pure cranberry juice. That way you can always add a little sugar or honey yourself to create your preferred level of sweetness. 
  • Lime juice: Fresh lime juice will give you the most fragrant result. I like my cocktail on the sour side so I add the juice of ½ a lime to each mug. 
  • Ice cubes: Lots of ice cubes to keep this drink frosty and cold. 
  • Garnish: Decorate your drink with cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs to make it look extra festive. 

How to garnish a Christmas Moscow Mule?

A regular Moscow Mule often has a slice of lime added as a garnish, but for this holiday version we want a little more festive vibes. 

‍Here are some fabulous festive ideas: 

  • For a pop of red; keep it simple and just drop some fresh or frozen cranberries on top of each cocktail. They’ll float around on the top and look like beautiful red Christmas berries. You can eat them raw for extra vitamins, just keep in mind they can be very tart!
  • Add a pop of green with a sprig of fresh rosemary (you can do this with or without the cranberries mentioned above). Rosemary looks just like pine and adds a delicious aroma and just a hint of flavour to your drink. 
  • Go the extra mile and make sugared cranberries. These gorgeous little ruby gems look just like snow covered berries to give you all the winter wonderland vibes. Stick them on a skewer and balance them on top of the drink. 

Tips & Alternatives

‍Virgin Christmas Moscow Mule: 
What I love about this cocktail is that all the flavour comes from the other ingredients so you can easily leave out the vodka without changing the flavour profile. That makes it super simple to make a virgin version for the kids or for anyone who doesn’t want an alcoholic drink. The cocktail and mocktail version will look exactly the same so make sure you’ve got some other way to tell them apart. 

‍Vodka alternative:
‍
Vodka is one of the ‘cleanest’ tasting alcohols out there, meaning that it doesn’t add much of a flavour to the drink itself. That makes it a perfect mixer for almost any cocktail. If you want to change it to another boozy variety then rum would be a good other option, this way you’ve changed the classic Moscow Mule into a Cuban Mule Cocktail. A spiced rum with flavours of cinnamon and clove would also work perfectly and add to the festive flavour profile. A splash of gin is another great option to add some extra buzz to your drink.

‍Pomegranate version:
‍
If you’re not into cranberries then try pomegranate instead! Switch the cranberry juice for pomegranate juice and sprinkle some fresh or frozen pomegranate arils on top. These gorgeous little rubies will give your cocktail that festive pop of red!

‍What to serve this cocktail in: 
The Mule cocktail is classically served in a copper mug. The copper conducts the temperature and helps to keep the beverage cold and frosty. A hammered copper mug also looks stunning when you serve it. An alternative would be any pretty looking glass you’ve got. Anything from a simple water glass to a fishbowl glass or even an old fashioned whisky tumbler will work just fine and also show off the pretty pink colour of this drink.

‍Make it in bulk to serve a crowd: 
If you want to serve a crowd fast it’s easier to premix the ingredients in a large pitcher and keep it in the fridge. (Don't make it too far ahead of time because then the ginger beer in the mixture will go flat). When you’re ready to serve just fill some glasses or copper mugs with ice and pour your premade mixture in each glass. If you want to serve it to both kids and adults then keep the premixed version virgin without any vodka. You can then just add a shot of vodka to the adult glasses. 

Are you looking for more festive recipes?

  • Make these Sugared Cranberries to add a little sparkle to your cocktails, desserts and cakes during the holiday season!
  • This Mulled Wine with citrus fruits and whole spices tastes like Christmas in a mug!
  • Serve this Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine at your next party so everybody can join in the festive fun!
  • Try this festive Cranberry Brie Crescent Wreath for brunch or as an appetizer, your guests will gobble up this wreath in no time!
  • Serve these Truffle Deviled Eggs at your next party! These delicious appetizers can be made ahead of time and a touch of truffle gives them an elegant twist. 
  • Wow your guests with an overflowing Pinterest Perfect Cheeseboard at your next get-together. ‍
  • Apple Rose Puff Pastries are the prettiest individual apple pies you'll ever see. They look like elegant roses and are perfect for a special occasion.

Christmas Moscow Mule

Servings: 1 portion
‍Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 

  • 60 ml (2 oz) vodka
  • 120 ml (4 oz) cranberry juice 
  • 120 ml (4 oz) ginger beer
  • 15 ml (½ oz) lime juice, fresh

Garnish: 

  • 5 (sugared) cranberries
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
  • Ice cubes

Instructions: 

  1. Add a handful of ice cubes to each mug or glass. 
  2. Pour in the vodka, ginger beer, cranberry juice and lime juice. 
  3. Give the ingredients a stir so all liquids are mixed together. 
  4. Garnish each mug with a sprig of rosemary and about 5 cranberries (or a small skewer with sugared cranberries). 

Did you try this recipe?

Let me know how it went! Comment below and share a picture on Instagram.
Tag @filled_with_flavour and hashtag #filledwithflavour so we can see all the deliciousness!

Tags:
Christmas
Winter
Brunch
Dinner Party
Most Popular
Snacks & Appetizers
Cranberry Brie Crescent Wreath
Salads
Tuna Pasta Salad
Basics
The Easiest Homemade Complete Seasoning Mix
Main Dishes
Gambas Pil Pil
Salads
Mexican Shrimp Salad
Prev
Next
Recent Posts
Snacks & Appetizers
Halloween Pumpkin Deviled Eggs - Perfect Fall & Thanksgiving Treat
Reviews
Sakuraco Box Review: Authentic Japanese Snacks & Artisanal Treats
Snacks & Appetizers
Mummy Hotdogs - The Easiest Halloween Snack
Pasta & Rice
Spooky Black Pasta with Mushroom Skulls & Creamy Truffle Sauce
Spain
Top 10 Things To Do in Barcelona
Tags
Autumn
Breakfast
Brunch
Chicken
Christmas
Citytrip
Comfort Food
Dinner
Dinner Party
Easter
French
Halloween
Italian
Low Carb
Lunch
Mexican
Party Food
Review
Sandwich
Sauce
Seafood
Spanish
Spring
Summer
Travel
Valentine's Day
Vegan
Vegetarian
Winter
Search
Categories
Food
Travel
Holistic Health
Follow Us
Category

Previous article

Category

Next article

More Posts

You Might Also Like

Read More
Drinks

Cranberry Detox Smoothie

Read More
Sweets

Vegan Banana Cranberry Muffins

Read More
Drinks

The Best Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine

Read More
Pasta & Rice

Spring Risotto with Green Asparagus & Peas

Follow Us

We’re on Instagram

Filled with Flavour
Food & Travel Blog
Sign up and get the latest blog posts!
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
We need to confirm your email address.
To complete the subscription process,
please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Home
Food
Travel
Holistic Health
AboutContact
Copyright © 2025 Filled with Flavour. All rights reserved. KVK: 92292526
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy
Snacks & Appetizers
Halloween Pumpkin Deviled Eggs - Perfect Fall & Thanksgiving Treat
Halloween Pumpkin Deviled Eggs - Perfect Fall & Thanksgiving Treat
Snacks & Appetizers
Mummy Hotdogs - The Easiest Halloween Snack
Mummy Hotdogs - The Easiest Halloween Snack
Pasta & Rice
Spooky Black Pasta with Mushroom Skulls & Creamy Truffle Sauce
Spooky Black Pasta with Mushroom Skulls & Creamy Truffle Sauce
Reviews
Sakuraco Box Review: Authentic Japanese Snacks & Artisanal Treats
Sakuraco Box Review: Authentic Japanese Snacks & Artisanal Treats
Main Dishes
Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos
Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos
Basics
The Best Homemade Mexican Spice Blend
The Best Homemade Mexican Spice Blend
Main Dishes
The Juiciest Mexican Shredded Chicken
The Juiciest Mexican Shredded Chicken
Side Dishes
Easy Lemon & Garlic Green Beans
Easy Lemon & Garlic Green Beans
Norway
Top Things to do in Oslo
Top Things to do in Oslo
Salads
The Best Classic Chunky Egg Salad
The Best Classic Chunky Egg Salad
Norway
The Complete Oslo Travel Guide
The Complete Oslo Travel Guide
Sweets
Pink Ruby Chocolate Covered Dates
Pink Ruby Chocolate Covered Dates
Drinks
The Best Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
The Best Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Drinks
The Best Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
The Best Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
Basics
Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Sweets
The Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
The Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
France
Top 10 Things to do in Normandy
Top 10 Things to do in Normandy
France
The Complete Normandy Travel Guide
The Complete Normandy Travel Guide
Sweets
Easter Meringue Nests with Lemon Curd & Mini Eggs
Easter Meringue Nests with Lemon Curd & Mini Eggs
Sweets
Eton Mess with Lemon Curd & Berries
Eton Mess with Lemon Curd & Berries
Sweets
Lemon Curd
Lemon Curd
Sweets
Apple Rose Puff Pastries
Apple Rose Puff Pastries
Drinks
Cranberry Detox Smoothie
Cranberry Detox Smoothie
Drinks
Classic Mulled Wine
Classic Mulled Wine
Snacks & Appetizers
Cranberry Brie Crescent Wreath
Cranberry Brie Crescent Wreath
Sweets
Sugared Cranberries
Sugared Cranberries
Drinks
Christmas Moscow Mule
Christmas Moscow Mule
Bowls
Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal with Maple Syrup and Pecans
Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal with Maple Syrup and Pecans
Snacks & Appetizers
Halloween Charcuterie Board
Halloween Charcuterie Board
Spain
Top 10 Things To Do in Barcelona
Top 10 Things To Do in Barcelona
Side Dishes
Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo
Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo
Spain
The Complete Barcelona Travel Guide
The Complete Barcelona Travel Guide
Side Dishes
The Best Easy & Authentic Guacamole
The Best Easy & Authentic Guacamole
Snacks & Appetizers
Top Tips For Making The Perfect Cheese Board
Top Tips For Making The Perfect Cheese Board
Pasta & Rice
Extra cheesy spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta shells
Extra cheesy spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta shells
Sweden
Stockholm Island Guide
Stockholm Island Guide
Snacks & Appetizers
Truffle Deviled Eggs
Truffle Deviled Eggs
Sweden
The Complete Stockholm Travel Guide
The Complete Stockholm Travel Guide
Sweets
Vegan Banana Cranberry Muffins
Vegan Banana Cranberry Muffins
Soups & Stews
Golden Glow Ginger Turmeric Pumpkin Soup
Golden Glow Ginger Turmeric Pumpkin Soup
Salads
Roasted Maple Butternut Squash Salad
Roasted Maple Butternut Squash Salad
Basics
The Easiest Homemade Complete Seasoning Mix
The Easiest Homemade Complete Seasoning Mix
Salads
Tuna Pasta Salad
Tuna Pasta Salad
Basics
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Main Dishes
Gambas Pil Pil
Gambas Pil Pil
Health & Lifestyle
Why Vitamins and Minerals are Essential for our Health
Why Vitamins and Minerals are Essential for our Health
Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: a fairytale town come to life
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: a fairytale town come to life
Germany
Hungry in Heidelberg? 
Hungry in Heidelberg? 
Germany
Heidelberg: a Baroque Beauty
Heidelberg: a Baroque Beauty
Bread
Croque Madame
Croque Madame
Basics
Béchamel Sauce
Béchamel Sauce
Pasta & Rice
Classic Homemade Lasagne
Classic Homemade Lasagne
Pasta & Rice
Spring Risotto with Green Asparagus & Peas
Spring Risotto with Green Asparagus & Peas
Salads
Caprese Salad
Caprese Salad
Salads
Mexican Shrimp Salad
Mexican Shrimp Salad