You've probably heard of a Cranberry Mule, now allow me to introduce you to my Sumac Cranberry Mule recipe. The sumac spice makes this refreshing and festive holiday cocktail different than anything else you've tried! I'll also show you how to make a virgin Moscow mule!
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My Sumac Cranberry Mule recipe is a riff off of the classic Moscow Mule, which is prepared with vodka, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer, and always served in copper mule mugs (affiliate link). It's the perfect drink to serve at your Christmas or New Year's party.
There must be a million Cranberry Moscow Mule recipes out there, so I wanted to create something different. I also wanted it to be a Christmas cocktail. After some thought, I decided to incorporate sumac powder (affiliate link), which has a tart and citrusy flavor in the place of lime juice.
It took making a few cocktails to get the proportions right. I first tried infusing the sumac into the vodka and then straining it. It was meh... Then my son, Scotty, recommended I make a sumac syrup instead. That boy is a genius!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple syrup and cranberry syrup are commonly used in mixed drinks so why not sumac syrup? Sumac Syrup tastes amazing and can be prepared ahead of time so that it's on hand whenever you feel like having a Sumac Cranberry Moscow Mule.
I'll show you how to make it three ways: The first version is with vodka, which is the traditional way to prepare a cranberry Moscow mule.
The second way to prepare it is called a cranberry American mule, which requires rum instead of vodka. It's my personal favorite, and I don't even like rum!
Finally, I'll show you how to alter the recipe to make a non-alcoholic or virgin Moscow mule.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sumac Powder - Sumac powder is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It adds a tangy and peppery flavor to food, especially Kabobs and rice. Although I do have a Sumac Substitute recipe, you will need the real deal to make the syrup. Sumac can be purchased at most ethnic stores and on Amazon.
- Alcohol - Use your favorite vodka or rum, or leave the alcohol out entirely.
- Cranberry Juice - When buying cranberry juice, pay attention to the label. You'll want to purchase 100% cranberry juice vs. cranberry cocktail, which is sweetened and only contains around 25% cranberry juice.
- Ginger Beer - Moscow mules call for spicy ginger beer, not to be confused with ginger ale. Ginger beer has a very strong and spicy ginger flavor. There are a variety of ginger beer choices out there, but when making Moscow mules, I like to use Bundaberg Ginger Beer.
- Cranberries - Fresh cranberries are the perfect garnish for a Cranberry Mule and add a festive flair. They can either be tossed into the drink as-is or sliced in half. Cranberries can also be skewered on toothpicks and placed into the cocktail.
- Garnish - A cutting of fresh mint or a sprig of rosemary or spruce (for those of us living in the country) can transform a plain Moscow mule into a Christmas Moscow mule.
- Lime - As mentioned earlier, unlike most Moscow mule recipes, there is no lime juice in this cocktail. The lime is only used as a garnish.
🔪 Helpful Tools
To make a cranberry Moscow mule, you will need the following:
- Moscow Mule Copper Mugs
- Saucepan
- Soup Bags
- Cocktail Shaker, optional
- Lewis Bag Ice Mallet Crusher, optional
🍸 How To Make A Sumac Cranberry Mule
Prepare Sumac Syrup
Step 1: Add sugar, water, and sumac powder to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes.
Step 2: Once the syrup is cool, strain through a soup bag and into an 8-ounce canning jar. Discard the solids.
Sumac Cranberry Mule 3 Ways
Cranberry Moscow Mule
Fill a Moscow Mule mug with one cup of crushed ice, then add the vodka, cranberry juice, and sumac syrup. Top with ginger beer.
Cranberry American Mule
Fill a Moscow Mule mug with one cup of crushed ice, then add rum, cranberry juice, and sumac syrup. Top with ginger beer.
Virgin Cranberry Mule
To prepare a Virgin Mule, follow the recipe steps above but leave out the alcohol and top with 6 to 8 ounces of ginger beer.
Garnish and Serve
Garnish your Sumac Cranberry Mule with a lime wheel or wedge. Toss a handful of cranberries into the mug or skewer them onto a toothpick. Finish by adding a sprig of mint or rosemary and serve immediately.
If tequila is more your jam, check out this yummy Tequila Mule from Courtney at APaigeofPositivity.com!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
The truth is, it doesn't. Although a Moscow Mule can be served in any glass, it has traditionallybeen served in a copper mug, and people have become accustomed to having it served that way.
According to the Cock'n Bull website, the Moscow Mule was created in the U.S. in the 1940s when two men sat down for a drink one night.
One of the men wanted to introduce his Cock'n Bull ginger beer to America, while the other wanted to market his shipment of Smirnoff Vodka from Russia. He was having a hard time doing so since Americans preferred to drink whisky or gin.
The two men came up with the idea for a drink that incorporated both products. They also came up with a perfect name for the drink, a Moscow Mule. "Moscow" represented the vodka, which was imported from Russia, while "Mule" represented the kick of the ginger in the ginger beer.
The Moscow Mule has been enjoyed by many since then and tweaked to make many variations, including this Sumac Cranberry Mule recipe.
An American Mule is just another name for a Moscow Mule. The difference, however, is using American vodka, such as Tito's. In other cases, an American Mule has rum or bourbon in the place of vodka.
If you absolutely MUST substitute the ginger beer, you can use ginger ale. However, ginger ale is not as strong or spicy as ginger beer, so your Moscow Mule will lack the strong and spicy flavor of ginger beer.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to strain the Sumac Syrup through a soup bag so that the syrup does not have a grainy texture. Additionally, resist the temptation to squeeze the bag to get every last drop. Doing so will result in a cloudy syrup.
- Some people prefer their Cranberry mule shaken, not stirred. To do so, add ice, alcohol, cranberry juice, and sumac syrup into a cocktail shaker (affiliate link) and shake vigorously until mixed and chilled. Next, strain the drink into a copper mug filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer, stir, garnish, and serve.
- Between vodka and rum, I highly recommend using rum. However, not just any rum. Appleton Estate Signature Jamaica Rum tastes amazing in this cocktail!
🥃 More Holiday Cocktails
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add sugar, water, and sumac powder to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes then simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes.
- Once the syrup is cool, strain through a soup bag and into an 8-ounce canning jar. Discard the solids.
- Fill a Moscow Mule mug with one cup of crushed ice, then add vodka, cranberry juice, and sumac syrup. Top with ginger beer.
- Fill a Moscow Mule mug with one cup of crushed ice, then add rum, cranberry juice, and sumac syrup. Top with ginger beer.
- Follow the recipe steps above but leave out the alcohol and top with 6 to 8 ounces of ginger beer.
- Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge. Toss a handful of cranberries into the mug, or skewer them onto a toothpick. Finish by adding a sprig of mint or rosemary and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Be sure to strain the Sumac Syrup through a soup bag so that the syrup does not have a grainy texture. Additionally, resist the temptation to squeeze the bag to get every last drop. Doing so will result in a cloudy syrup.
- Some people prefer their Moscow Mule shaken, not stirred. To do so, add ice, alcohol, cranberry juice, and sumac syrup into a cocktail shaker (affiliate link) and shake vigorously until mixed and chilled. Next, strain the drink into a copper mug filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer, stir, garnish, and serve.
- Between vodka and rum, I highly recommend using rum. However, not just any rum. Appleton Estate Signature Jamaica Rum tastes amazing in this cocktail!
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