American Mule Drink Recipe

American mule is the upgraded version of the popular drink called Moscow mule. If you enjoy and want to experiment with your vodka, these are the classic cocktails that you should try once. 

While Moscow mule is hot and not suitable for summer, American mule can provide the proper freshness and a party on a hot summer day. Yet, the recipe is stupidly simple and takes around five minutes. 

So, let’s see how you can make an American mule drink at home. 

How to Make an American Mule at Home?

Look, I’ve made this easy mule drink probably a hundred times, and the technique matters way more than having some fancy bar setup. You can mess this up with premium ingredients, or nail it with basic stuff and good timing.

Ingredients

• 2 oz vodka (more on this below)
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (seriously, squeeze it yourself)
• 4-6 oz ginger beer (not ginger ale – there’s a difference)
• Ice
• Lime wheel for garnish
• Fresh mint sprig (optional but worth it)

Instructions

• Grab a highball glass or whatever tall glass you’ve got. Fill it with ice – and I mean really fill it. You want that drink ice cold from the first sip.
• Pour in your vodka first.
• Then add the lime juice. Here’s where most people mess up – they either skip the lime juice entirely or use that bottled stuff that tastes like cleaning solution. Fresh lime juice is what makes this drink actually taste like something instead of just boozy ginger soda.
• Top it off with ginger beer, leaving about an inch at the top. Don’t just dump it in – pour it slowly so you don’t kill all the carbonation. That fizz is doing half the work here.
• Give it a gentle stir – just enough to mix everything without making it flat. Drop in your lime wheel and mint sprig if you’re using it.

The whole thing should take about 2 minutes, and that includes squeezing the lime. If you’re taking longer than that, you’re overthinking it.

Best Vodka for an American Mule

After trying this refreshing mule drink with everything from bottom-shelf vodka to stuff that costs more than my rent, here’s what actually matters:

For Your Everyday American Mule: Tito’s, Smirnoff, or Absolut work perfectly. You want something clean that won’t fight with the ginger beer, but you don’t need to break the bank. The ginger beer is doing most of the flavor work anyway.

If You Want to Level Up: Grey Goose or Belvedere will make this smoother, but honestly, the difference isn’t huge. Save the premium stuff for drinking neat and use the mid-range vodka for your mule cocktail with vodka.

What to Avoid: Anything flavored. I don’t care if it’s “premium vanilla vodka” or whatever – it’s going to clash with the ginger beer and lime. Plain vodka is your friend here.

The real secret isn’t the vodka brand – it’s making sure it’s ice cold before it goes in the glass. Keep your bottle in the freezer, and your American vodka mule will taste twice as good.

Tips for Serving an American Mule

After making this American ginger mule for more parties than I can count, I’ve learned a few things that’ll save you from the mistakes I made early on:

Ice is Everything

Use fresh ice for every drink. Nobody wants watery mule drinks, and old ice tastes like whatever’s been sitting in your freezer. Fill the glass completely – this isn’t wine, you want it cold.

The Lime Situation

Cut your lime wheels thick enough that they won’t fall apart when you squeeze them, but thin enough that they’ll fit in the glass without taking up all the room. And always, always use fresh lime juice. The bottled stuff will make your drink taste like disappointment.

Batch It for Parties

You can pre-mix the vodka and lime juice in a pitcher and keep it cold. Just add the ginger beer and ice when you’re ready to serve. Don’t try to pre-make the whole thing – flat ginger beer is a crime against cocktails.

Garnish Game

The mint sprig isn’t just for looks. Slap it between your palms before you put it in the drink – this releases the oils and makes the whole thing smell amazing. Skip this step and you’re missing half the experience.

Conclusion

That was the quickest way to make an American mule at home. If you are a vodka lover like me, try to keep it simple, so you can get the proper taste of your vodka. This vodka mule recipe is the perfect summer drink that does not require much effort and tastes amazingly good.