Cranberry Mule

The Cranberry Mule is a fun twist on the more traditional Moscow Mule. Perfect as a Thanksgiving or holiday cocktail, this drink calls for spiced rum (instead of traditional vodka), cranberry juice and ginger beer, then is topped with sugared cranberries as garnish. Makes 1 drink.

Love cranberry cocktails? Give the Citrus Cranberry Sangria and Blizzard Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail a try! Looking for a Cranberry Mule with vodka? Try this Classic Cranberry Mule!

I drank my first Moscow Mule when I was on a photo assignment in Baton Rouge, visiting a hole-in-the-wall bar that offered entirely too many fun cocktails. I don’t drink while working (because duh), but after I was done, the owner insisted I try something.

When I asked what he recommended, he said, “The Moscow Mule.”

And so I was introduced to one of my favorite cocktails.

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Fast forward a year or two later, and I was in New Orleans having lunch with a friend at Sylvain. We spotted Mules on the menu and made the executive decision: we were having a cocktail lunch. (Duh.)

When we mentioned these cocktails to our waiter, he asked if we like gin, and we said we did.

So then he suggested getting the Moscow Mule with gin instead of vodka. And it was delightful (and a nice surprise–who knew you could make a mule with something other than vodka?)

When I was thinking about drinks to make for Blogsgiving Dinner, I knew I wanted to highlight cranberries and realized it would be really fun to do a Thanksgiving take on the classic Moscow Mule.

So I began tinkering, keeping ginger beer and adding unsweetened cranberry juice, simple syrup and spiced rum. (Because spiced rum and cranberries pair marvelously.)

Then I made sugared cranberries as a garnish because my pal, Ashley, made some gorgeous spiced ones that I used as inspiration for our garnish.

And so the Thanksgiving Spiced Cranberry Mule came into being.

Other Mules we adore: Classic Cranberry Mule | Strawberry Moscow Mule | Apple Pie Moscow Mule | Peach Moscow Mule | Gingerbread Mule | Ginger Pomegranate Mules

Looking for another festive cocktail? I’ve got a whole list on my Drinks Recipe Index.

What do I need to make Cranberry Mules?

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• Copper Mugs.
• A cocktail shaker (like this Cresimo 24 oz. Cocktail Shaker & Jigger.)

How to Make a Cranberry Mule

Place a handful of ice in a copper mug (or in a regular glass–your call!)

In a cocktail shaker, measure out the cranberry juice, ginger beer, rum and simple syrup. Add a scoop of ice to the shaker, too. Shake until combined.

Pour the icy cold cocktail over the ice in your prepared mug or glass.

Garnish with sugared cranberries (or regular cranberries if you don’t want to go the sugared route!), and enjoy immediately.

How to Make Large Batch Cranberry Mules in a Pitcher!

What’s more fun than mixing up Cranberry Mules for yourself? Making Large Batch Spiced Cranberry Mules for a crowd!

In a large (at least 2 ½ quarts!) glass pitcher, combine the following:

• 16 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice (do NOT use cranberry cocktail)
• 24 oz. ginger beer
• 12 oz. spiced rum
• 8 oz. simple syrup

Stir with a long cocktail spoon (or a wooden spoon if you don’t have a cocktail spoon long enough.) Add ice or frozen cranberries to keep it cool, and serve.

This makes 8 servings. If your pitcher is larger, you can certainly make 10-12 servings. Just make sure that you leave enough space to add ice or frozen cranberries at the end to keep it cool!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make simple syrup? Can I purchase it in stores?

Simple syrup is simple to make, but you can purchase it in stores if you don’t have time to make it yourself. (This Stirrings simple syrup is my favorite.)

If you want to make it at home, combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves in the water. Remove from the heat, and let cool, then store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up for a few weeks.

You can easily double, triple or even half the recipe for simple syrup. It just depends on how much you’ll need to make, and it’s easier to make it in a large batch instead of several small batches.

What ginger beer do you prefer to use?

Fever-Tree is my all-time favorite ginger beer because it offers awesome spice without too much sweetness.

What is the difference between cranberry cocktail and cranberry juice?

Cranberry cocktail is a sweetened blend of juices while cranberry juice should be 100% unsweetened cranberry juice.

I’ve had good luck finding unsweetened cranberry juice on the shelf-stable juice aisle at stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts, but I know others carry it, too. If you’re having trouble finding it at your grocery, I would ask someone who works there and see if they can help direct you to it.

You can also purchase larger quantities of it online.

What happens if I don’t have mule mugs to serve these in?

The Moscow Mule police are called. 😉 Kidding.

I’ve made several mules over the years that I didn’t serve in mule mugs. While the copper mugs will keep the drinks insulated and chilly for an extended period of time, you don’t have to have them to serve a mule. Promise.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips and Tricks

• Make the sugared cranberries 1-3 days in advance. After they’ve been refrigerated for the second time, they’re significantly less sticky and can be stored in a food storage container in the fridge.
• Purchase your ingredients in advance. There’s nothing more stressful than hosting friends or a party and realizing at the last minute that you’re missing an important ingredient.
• Since these drinks can’t be made in advance, have your tools and ingredients ready to go when guests arrive. You can easily mix ’em up one by one (unless you’re making a batch of mules, in which case, do that earlier!)
• Make a Mule Pitcher, recipe listed above, 1-2 hours in advance of the party. Don’t add the ice, and pop it in the fridge until it’s go time, then let guests serve themselves and add ice to their mugs from an ice basket on your bar.

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community is all about these things, as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. And this year, there are more than 60 blogs sharing recipes this week!

The idea is based on an old-fashioned potluck dinner party.

Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal. We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner, but you can see all the whole menu in Part 1 and Part 2 of the recipe round-up.

What do these Moscow Mules pair well with for a party?

• Cranberry Turkey Puff Pastry Tartlets
• Browned Butter Sage Turkey
• Baked Brie with Cranberry Chutney
• Creamy Cranberry Tart

Now, who’s ready for a cocktail?

Here’s how you can mix one up:

Have you tried this Cranberry Mule? If so, be sure to leave a comment below to let me know what you thought, as well as a star rating!

This Cranberry Mule post was originally published November 9, 2015. The text was updated on December 18, 2019. A video was added October 19, 2019.