Holiday Moscow Mule Recipe

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This Holiday Mule recipe is the best winter cocktail! It’s easy to make and full of yummy festive flavors. Make this winter mule recipe for all your Christmas and seasonal celebrations! It’s ready in just minutes!

Woman holding a copper mule mug garnished with a clove studded piece of orange peel filled with a Holiday Moscow Mule cocktail. — Let’s make this simple Holiday Mule recipe.

A Christmas Mule to try this year

This Christmas Mule is a fun holiday twist on a classic Moscow Mule cocktail and is the perfect cocktail for all your holiday parties. Or for sipping while playing my Hallmark Christmas Movies Drinking Game.

This recipe for a Holiday Mule is super simple and needs only a few ingredients so it’s great for home bartenders. And the store-bought juice gives it tons of instant flavor.

Although not out year-round, keep your eyes out for wassail at Trader Joe’s. It’s essential for this Christmas Mule. But I’ll also show you how to make the recipe without it.

While I typically don’t like to add special ingredients to my cocktails, the wassail makes sense. The store-bought version is non-alcoholic so the kids can totally drink it too. And you can likely find a version at other stores too.

After just a few times making it, you’ll no longer even really need to measure. Seriously, it’s damn near foolproof. It’s a go-to vodka recipe at this time of year.

Recipes that are quick to make, like this Holiday Moscow Mule, are perfect for having people over and for winter drop ins.

Serving this Christmas Mule drink in a copper mug makes everything seem extra festive and keeps the drink chilled to perfection. A simple, fragrant garnish finishes off the drink and makes it party-ready.

This tastes like Christmas in a glass! And the store-bought juice does all the work for you.

Ingredients

For this cocktail, I used Finlandia Vodka, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Ginger Beer is essential for any Moscow mule recipe and it’s perfect for the holidays.

Juice of half a lime and bitters help enhance the flavors of the vodka and wassail.

Ginger Liqueur is optional but adds a delicious boost of ginger flavor. (If you love ginger, don’t skip this!)

This Winter Wassail from Trader Joe’s is the star of the show. When I wanted to create this Christmas Moscow Mule recipe, my mind kept going to cranberries. But when I saw this spiced juice made with blackcurrant, lemon, and apple, I instantly knew it would be the perfect base for this winter mule cocktail.

First, it’s ready-made. Second, it is full of seasonal flavors. Third, my kids love this juice on its own! You can’t go wrong with this juice.

It is a seasonal item and specific to Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find it you can make your own Spiced Cranberry Juice.

I know the Wassail does not contain cranberries, but it is a great substitute here. It’s the base for most of my cranberry cocktails. In fact, it’s what I use in my Cranberry Mule recipe.

How to Make a Holiday Mule

Woman putting ice cubes into a copper mug.

Step 1

Add ice to a mug.

Step 2

Add vodka. It’s usually between 1 – 2 ounces. Put however you much you want. You do you. If you are a light-weight or don’t love the flavor stay closer to 1 ounce.

Step 3

Add the wassail.

Here is why Moscow Mules are such a great cocktail. While you start with a basic recipe, you can easily modify them to suit your own tastes. If you don’t want it to be strong, add a little more juice.

Ginger beer being poured into a copper mug.

Step 4

Top with ginger beer.

Mmmmmm. Fresh lime.

Hand squeezing fresh lime into a copper mule mug.

Step 5

Fresh lime juice is an essential ingredient to any Moscow Mule recipe including winter mules. It’s a great way to brighten up the drinks and bring out the flavors.

Holiday Garnish Idea

A fun garnish is a great way to finish off this drink. Clove-studded oranges are a holiday tradition so creating one for a garnish on the Holiday Moscow Mule just makes sense.

The garnish flavors mimic the ingredients found in the wassail. Just don’t accidentally eat a whole clove…

And as you bring the mug to your lips to sip you get hit in the nose with the most glorious seasonal scent.

Tips and Tricks

You don’t have to use a copper mug, but you kind of do have to use a copper mug. They are such a fun way to sip a cocktail. They get frosty and the color glistens in the lights. Although it’s currently 78 degrees here in California, in my head I can almost picture drinking a Holiday Mule by the tree.
You can always adjust the sweetness level by adding more juice or even a little bit of simple syrup.
If you plan to serve wassail to the kids (minus the alcohol of course!), skip the garnishes. Cloves can be a choking hazard and the smell can be too intense for them.

Holiday Moscow Mule in a copper mug garnished with a clove studded orange wedge with fir branches in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a pitcher of Christmas Mules for a party?

Yes. I would just suggest you make a pitcher of vodka, wassail and lime and then add in the ginger beer individually so it retains its fizz. You can use the printable recipe card to help scale up the recipe by changing the servings.

What can I substitute for the wassail? I don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby.

If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, or they are out of this pre-made wassail, you can make a spiced cranberry juice.

Can I use gin instead of vodka?

Yes, definitely. Vodka and gin are often interchangeable. I encourage you to try this recipe as is first because I think you’ll love it! Gin has a heavier herbal flavor so it would be great for winter and pair well with the juice.

Wait a second, isn’t Wassail made with hard cider?

Yes, traditionally in England where the tradition of Wassailing comes from Wassail is made from hard cider and is served warm. However, when I saw this Wassail-inspired juice at the store I just knew it would make the perfect holiday cocktail!

You could even easily ditch the wine in this Wine and Essential Oils holiday party idea and swap in a winter Moscow Mule cocktail instead.

More easy holiday cocktails

Best Clementine Margaritas
Spiced Pear & Vodka Moscow Mule
Spiced Cranberry Vodka Slush
Spiced Winter Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
Spiced Pear Juice Bellini
Collection of Christmas Bourbon Cocktails
Vodka Cranberry (is a great holiday drink – just serve it with rosemary!)
Pumpkin Margarita
Cinnamon Sugar Rim

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