This Cranberry Moscow Mule is perfectly on trend and festive!
I love a good house party. I recently hosted a house party to celebrate my birthday, because what could be more fun than cocktails and cake with friends? Charles and I each made cocktails that night. Charles made a gin and tonic seasoned with lemon and rosemary and I made Cranberry Moscow Mules with a touch of fresh lime juice.
Moscow mules have become incredibly trendy in the past couple of years, and they are a cocktail that everyone seems to love. I added a fun seasonal twist to the cocktail by adding a home fresh cranberry concentrate.
I opted not to use cranberry juice since it tends to be too sweet, and I prefer the flavor of fresh cranberries. The cranberry concentrate has a bolder flavor, and is a perfect addition to a cocktail.
The concentrate takes just minutes to make. You just need to bring fresh cranberries, water, brown sugar, and a touch of cranberry juice to a simmer for about 5 minutes. The brown sugar balances out the bitterness of the cranberries without being overly sweet. The fresh cranberries burst as they simmer in the water, creating a concentrate that has a more intense flavor than cranberry juice.
After the cranberry and water mixture simmers, the last step is to strain the concentrate to remove any chunks from the cranberries. Once finished concentrate has bitter and sweet flavors and a slightly thick consistency.
Next you just need to squeeze 3-4 limes until you have 3/4 cup of lime juice. I love the flavor combination of the cranberry, lime, and ginger beer. The three flavors compliment each other while remaining distinctive.
I prepared the drink in a large drink dispenser, and put the vodka on the side. Moscow mules taste great without the alcohol, and my pregnant friends were excited to have a fun drink option. Meanwhile, other friends generously poured vodka into their mugs.
Cranberry Moscow Mule
This Cranberry Moscow Mule is an easy cocktail recipe that your friends will love!
Ingredients
- 3 cups Fresh Cranberries
- 1/2 cup Cranberry Juice
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice
- 4 cups of Ice
- 2 16 ounce bottles Ginger Beer (I like Fever Tree brand)
- 1 1/2 cups Vodka
- 1 Lime
Instructions
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First, prepare the cranberry concentrate. Pour 2 cups of cranberries, the cranberry juice, water, and brown sugar into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes, until the cranberries have bursted. Stir frequently.
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Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the cranberry concentrate. Use a rubber spatula to press as much of the concentrate as possible through the strainer. Then let then concentrate cool.
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To mix the cranberry moscow mule, pour the concentrate, lime juice, ice, ginger beer, and vodka into a large container. Gently stir. Add the remaining cranberries and slices of lime to garnish.
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