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In 1941, John G. Martin of Heublein, east coast spirits and food distributor, and Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock’n Bull bar on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, met in a bar in Los Angeles. Together they invented Moscow Mule by mixing Morgan’s ginger beer with Smirnoff vodka and lime in order to market the proprietor’s struggling Cock’n Bull’s ginger-beer franchise.
They ordered specially engraved copper mugs and Martin went off to market it in the bars around the country. He bought one of the first Polaroid cameras and asked barmen to pose with a Moscow Mule copper mug and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka. Then he would leave one copy of the photo at the bar and take a second copy to the bar next door to show them that their competitors were selling their concoction. Between 1947 and 1950, thanks to their invention, Smirnoff vodka case columns more than tripled and nearly doubled in 1951. The name for the drink we think was selected at random, most likely because people associated vodka with Russia, and mule was probably added to the name because ginger beer delivers a kick of flavor. But no one really knows for sure.
Regardless of the word origins, here are a few recipes worth bookmarking.
Markers Moscow Mule (Mule Tide)
Ingredients:
2 oz Titos Vodka
5½ oz good quality ginger beer (we use Spindrift)
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz honey syrup
1 lime wedge
Directions:
In a copper mug, pour vodka over ice. Add honey syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with lime slice.
Markers Kentucky Mule (Mule Tide)
Ingredients:
2oz Jim Beam straight bourbon
5 ½ oz. good quality ginger beer
1oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
½ oz. agave nectar
1 orange slice
Directions:
In a copper mug, pour vodka over ice. Add agave and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with orange slice.
Markers Mexican Mule (Mule Tide)
Ingredients:
2 oz Camarena blue agave silver tequila
5½ oz. good quality ginger beer
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz agave nectar
1 lime wedge
Directions:
In a copper mug, pour vodka over ice. Add agave and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with lime slice.
Markers Restaurant is located on the waterfront at the world-class Harborside Financial Center in Jersey City, directly across from lower Manhattan. Since 1989, Markers Restaurant and Markers Express have been a mainstay of the Jersey City financial district, serving breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner, Monday through Friday.
