Strawberry Moscow Mule
Sweet and a little tart, this Strawberry Moscow Mule recipe is a twist on the classic cocktail! Calling for fresh strawberries, lime juice, ginger beer and vodka, this mixed drink is perfect for the spring and summertime. Makes 1 drink, but can be turned into a pitcher.
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Y’all know I am all about a good seasonal Moscow Mule. So this month, I’m bringing you a mule that features my favorite fruit of all time: the strawberry.
When we lived in Louisiana, March was the month that local strawberries went wild at the markets. There were so many strawberries that you could buy a flat for $20.
It was amazing, and the years that we lived there, I overdosed on strawberries during the month of March. (Hello, Strawberry Mousse, Strawberry Vinaigrette, Strawberry Pineapple Agua Fresca and Strawberry Syrup. I LOVE YOU.)
So it’s fitting for me to share this Strawberry Moscow Mule with y’all this month because it’s springy and seasonal and bright and is perfect for any gatherings.
The Strawberry Mules bring out the best of the Moscow Mule flavor.
The strawberries add sweetness; the ginger offers a little bit of spice; the lime offers some much-needed acidity, and the vodka adds a little zing.
Funnily enough, I actually made this drink last summer and ran out of time to share it with y’all. So if you’re looking for a mule that is non-alcoholic, let me just tell you: this one works without the booze, too!
As someone who is obsessed with fresh fruit and her drinks, I highly recommend giving this a try. Especially since strawberries are going to be everywhere soon.
Other fruit drink recipes to try: Strawberry Margarita | Blood Orange Mocktail Mule | Blackberry Red Wine Spritzer | Peach Lemonade | Cherry Smash with Honeysuckle Vodka
What you need to make this recipe:
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Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get at the grocery store or liquor store:
- Strawberries — you want big, beautiful, fresh berries for this recipe. You can use frozen in a pinch, though you’ll need to thaw them before proceeding.
- Ginger beer — this is brewed in the same way that kombucha is. It is not the same thing as ginger ale and has a bigger kick because of that. The ginger flavor should really shine.
- Vodka — plain vodka is what you want. Flavored vodka will not do you any favors here, and I do not recommend it.
- Simple syrup — make your own (I have a tutorial here!) or purchase a bottle at the store. This adds sweetness to the drink. I do not recommend skipping it.
- Lime juice — purchase a lime or two and squeeze it yourself, mmkay? The shelf-stable bottled lime juice at the store doesn’t give as vibrant flavor as the fresh stuff.
- Ice — this is a must for serving! Crush up some ice in your favorite blender, use fun ice cube molds or just use it straight from the freezer. This drink is best served chilled.
- Fresh mint — this is our garnish. Have a lot of it!
How to make a Strawberry Moscow Mule
This mule is a simple one to make.
First and foremost, muddle the strawberry. You can use a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon to break it up.
Next, pour in the liquid ingredients. This includes the ginger beer, the vodka, simple syrup and lime juice into a glass.
Stir, add ice, garnish with fresh herbs and boom! You’re done, and it’s time to enjoy this goodness.
Pro tip!
Quadruple the ingredients to make this into a pitcher drink! “Muddle” the strawberries in the food processor or a blender, then combine everything in a pitcher and serve immediately.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
A Strawberry Mule is the perfect cocktail to mix up for a spring or summertime gathering.
Whether you’re hosting girlfriends or a kid’s birthday (what? you don’t serve mixed drinks to your kid’s friends parents?), this sipper works well for a crowd!
If I were serving this to share, here are a few things I might do…
- Muddle your strawberries in advance. If you make these beauts individually, muddle those strawberries 1-2 hours beforehand, and let them get really juicy!
- Make it a pitcher drink. If you’re serving a crowd and don’t want to mix them individually, blend up the strawberries in the blender or food processor and throw all the ingredients into a pitcher. Quadruple the recipe (or more!) to have enough for all!
- Swap out the strawberries for a different berry. If you don’t love strawberries or can’t find good ones, use another berry! Just be aware that swapping the berries might call for more or less simple syrup. Taste the fruit and the drink before adding the simple syrup, then add it a little at a time until the sweetness if perfect for your tastebuds.
- Pair it with a flavorful appetizer, like Roasted Corn and Jalapeno Dip, Bacon Cream Cheese Deviled Eggs, Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp or even Honey Pistachio Whipped Goat Cheese Cups. These dishes have enough flavor to keep things interesting while sipping this strawberry drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can absolutely use frozen strawberries if you don’t have fresh. However, I recommend letting them thaw, then blending them up in a blender before mixing this drink so that it’s easier to mix.
Back in the 1940s, Americans didn’t drink a lot of vodka. Legend has it that a bartender at L.A.’s Cock ‘n Bull mixed up this beverage after listening to three businessmen — a vodka maker, a ginger beer maker and a copper mug maker — lament about their lack of sales. Whatever actually happened resulted in a delicious drink, traditionally served in a copper mug.
The world is your oyster here! Whatever fruit you use, just muddle or blend it like you do with the strawberries in this one. Be aware that you might have to add more simple syrup, depending on the sweetness of the fruit used.
I’ve made the following fruit mule recipes: Raspberry Moscow Mule, Peach Moscow Mule, Apple Cider Moscow Mule, Cranberry Mule and Classic Cranberry Moscow Mule (Yule Mule).
Yes, you can! Just leave out the vodka, and you have a delicious Strawberry Mule Mocktail.
Quick tips and tricks for the best mules
- Truly muddle the berries. Really break them down as best you can before pouring the liquid ingredients on top of them. It’s hard to drink chunks of strawberries, and you really want them to release their juices and flavor.
- Don’t skip the ginger beer. It sounds silly, but this drink will not have the same kick if you use ginger ale instead.
- Make a batch. Quadruple the recipe and make it into a pitcher of the most refreshing cocktail.
- Drink it immediately. Since the ginger beer is carbonated, this does not keep in the fridge well and will become flat the longer it sits.
Now who’s ready to make one of these cocktails? Heck, we can even make ’em a mocktail!
Trust me: You want to know how to do it. I explain below…
Strawberry Moscow Mule
EQUIPMENT
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Ingredients
- 5 strawberries muddled
- 3 oz. ginger beer
- 1 ½ oz. vodka
- 1 oz. simple syrup
- ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice for serving
- Fresh mint for garnish
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Instructions
- Slice the 5 strawberries.
- Place the strawberries in a glass (a copper mug or your glassware of choice—we aren’t picky here!), and muddle with a muddler.
- Measure 3 oz. ginger beer, 1 ½ oz. vodka, 1 oz. simple syrup and ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice into the glass on top of the strawberries.
- Use a spoon to stir the ingredients until well-combined.
- Top with Ice, garnish with an additional strawberry and a sprig of Fresh mint, and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
This drink looks sooooo good! Strawberries are in season here (FL) right now, so this is going on my “to do” list! 🙂
Thank you SO much! I’m a sucker for any kind of strawberry drink, and I love that they’re already in season in Florida! I cannot wait to hear what you think.
We had these at our Super Bowl party. Everyone loved them!
What type/flavor of simple syrup do you recommend
Hi! Just saw your comment and wanted to email you to say a classic simple syrup is what I recommend with this drink. You could also do a mint simple syrup, but that’s not something I would do unless I already had it on hand.
I hope that helps. Cheers!
Delicious!!
But please can you get rid of at least some of the advertisements. It took way too much effort to read through your post. I gave up & jumped to the recipe.
Hey Janet. I’m so glad that you thought this drink was delicious — thanks for letting me know!
I hear you on the advertisements, but they are how I am able to serve these delicious recipes to you and others for free. The jump to the recipe button was enabled to help readers jump past the majority of the ads, so I am glad you used it. I hope that helps you understand why I have them in place.
Just made this and it’s fabulous. I didn’t have a way to muddle so I put the strawberries in a magic bullet but did rest as directed minus the mint (didn’t have any). Nice and refreshing but not overly sweet and a good use of very ripe strawberries. Thank you!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Debbi! It’s been a favorite of mine for a long while. Excellent work on pivoting to blend the strawberries since you didn’t have a muddler or the mint. Cheers to you! I hope you’re able to make this recipe for various occasions moving forward. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!