You may have thought that the ‘Moscow’ in Moscow Mule meant that the cocktail originated from Moscow, Russia. The cocktail, however, was created on the sandy shores of Los Angeles, America,  years before the Cold War erupted. From here, it’s unsure how the beverage was made and added to the menu. Some say it was made in partnership between a bar manager in L.A. and a Smirnoff executive who wanted to sell vodka to the Americans. Others believe it was a collaborative effort between bar owners across the city, who had a surplus of ginger beer and copper cups that we’re going to waste. Some even believe that aliens are responsible for the cocktail, and while we don’t have the evidence to disprove them, we don’t believe this theory.

When it comes to the best Moscow Mule recipe, the topic is up to much debate. Rather than buy into the contention ourselves, we’ve gone right to the top, enlisting the help of the International Bartenders Association. The world-renowned organisation has lifted the lid on the iconic recipe, giving us an insight into how to make the perfect Moscow Mule. Here is their Moscow Mule recipe;

As promised, we’ll now be getting into the best vodka for your next Moscow Mule. Remember, it’s one vodka per drink, you won’t be doing yourself any favours using 60ml of every vodka in the one copper cup.

Stolichnaya Vodka is the Latvian love potion made from hand-selected grain. Distilled three times at their distillery, the vodka is then filtered through birch charcoal and quartz sands, each leaving a flavourful impression on the vodka itself. The vodka is then blended with pure artisan water, for a truly iconic vodka that can be enjoyed mixed or straight.

From the brand we have to thank for the Moscow Mule in the first place (allegedly) we have the Smirnoff Red Label Vodka. We should all be familiar with the Smirnoff name, as it’s probably the same stuff you were swapping for water in your parent’s liquor cabinet. Produced locally in Australia, the vodka is triple distilled and filtered ten times for the ultimate clarity. We don’t need to do the maths to know this is a great tasting vodka.

Potato chips, hash browns, mash, and vodka. It’s clear that you can’t go wrong will a well-cooked potato. Taking note of this, the expert distillers at Luksusowa have used potatoes in the production process of their vodka. Made in small batches, the vodka is overseen and tested throughout production, for the best tasting results.

Another great tasting Polish vodka is the Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka. Winning gold at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirit Awards, Zubrowka is a long-standing and highly respected distillery. The Bison grass itself is dried out and used to flavour their vodka, with a single blade left in each bottle as a reminder of where it’s come from.

With over 300 years of experience in the game, you can be assured that the Notel Family’s Ketel One Vodka won’t let your Moscow Mule cocktail down. Crafted in smaller batches, each in copper pot stills, more focus in given to each batch. This focus and attention make Ketel One the perfectionists vodka.

Last, but not least, we have Reyka Vodka. From the aged and experienced to the new and invigorated, this Icelandic made vodka is made from the country’s first vodka distillery. Their vodka is uniquely filtered through lava rocks, and made from the purest Icelandic spring water, making it a vodka forged through the elements. It’s hard to believe they’ve done it this well on their first attempt, and we can’t wait to see what variations and flavours they continue to produce.