Blueberry Moscow Mule

Blueberry Moscow Mules are bubbly, fruity, and super refreshing. This mule recipe is perfect for summer!

Welcome to another installment of Thirsty Thursday, a series on Sweet Tea and Thyme where cocktails are the focus every Thursday.

Moscow mules are really easy cocktails that have been around since about the 1940's. For this version of a flavored moscow mule, I made an easy blueberry-ginger simple syrup to add to that great spice in the ginger beer. The end result is something that I love sipping on since it's literally so hot here in Florida it feels like your covered in baby oil and wrapped in foil and standing on the surface of the sun. I swear it wasn't this hot when I was a kid.

What is a Moscow Mule?

A moscow mule is a cocktail made of vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice, usually garnished with a wedge of lime. It's served cold with ice and while it's perfect for hot weather, the strong, spicy ginger flavor makes it popular during the holidays, too.

It's traditionally served in a copper mug, which helps keep the drink cold, but with more people becoming health conscious about chemical leakage in food it's also served in a highball glass. So no copper mug? No sweat.

The origins of the Moscow Mule are a little fuzzy, but it was invented in America and the story goes that neither ginger beer nor vodka was popular in the states until two entrepreneurs got together and made this drink, an actor ordered it, and he made it popular.

How to Make a Blueberry Moscow Mule

Make a homemade blueberry simple syrup

Simple syrup is easy to make: 1 part sugar to 1 part water. I add in a quarter cup of blueberries and a ½ inch knob of fresh ginger (I always have some on hand but it's completely optional) and smash the blueberries against the pan sides while the sugar is dissolving. Let bubble away until you have simple syrup and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

The simple syrup gives it sweetness, great fruity flavor, and a really pretty color (that really shouldn't be hiding behind copper, in my opinion).

Stir up all the ingredients

In highball glasses or copper mugs stir up the ginger beer, vodka, blueberry simple syrup, a squeeze of lime juice, and ice. I love adding frozen blueberries because who doesn't love boozy fruit? Also, they keep your drink cold without diluting it, so if you really love blueberries you can just freeze them and use that instead of ice.

Moscow Mule Mocktail

To make this a mocktail, simply keep the vodka out of it. The flavors of the drink really come from the ginger beer, which is a non-alcoholic drink that is seriously potent. The strong, spicy ginger taste can even make you cough, so if you aren't used to it or are thinking of serving this mocktail to kids, I would suggest substituting the ginger beer with ginger ale.

Check out these great summer snacks to nosh on while drinking your Blueberry Mule:

• Coconut Shrimp + Dipping Sauce Recipe
• Warm Butter Lobster Rolls
• Spicy Tuna Avocado Towers
• No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
• Mango Margarita Cheesecake

When you make this Blueberry Moscow Mule leave a comment and be sure to give a star rating in the recipe card! Don’t forget to tag me @sweet_tea_thyme and #STATThursdays on Instagram so I can see all your Thirsty Thursday creations.