Mango Ginger Moscow Mule Mocktail

The Origin of the Moscow Mule

It is no question that Moscow Mule has been having a resurgence in American drinking culture in the past five to six years. However, this now well-known drink served in a shiny copper mug was created in the 1940s when vodka sales were at an all-time low.

The story goes that John G. Martin had recently purchased the rights to the French Smirnoff Vodka brand, but Americans just weren’t drinking vodka. He almost couldn’t give it away. Supposedly, John G. Martin shared his troubles at an L.A. bar, “The Cock and Bull,” when the owner of said establishment shared he was having a similar issue, but with ginger beer.

In some renditions of this story, a third businessman, a seller of copper mugs, had also hit hard times. So together, the three businessmen, along with a bartender, combined their troubles into one drink, the Moscow Mule. It was this drink that supposedly changed the reputation of vodka in the US.

Whether you believe this tale or not, there is no doubt that the Moscow Mule is one of the most refreshing and iconic cocktails today, and its combined flavors are worth recreating at home.

The Moscow Mule has three main components, with a few other potential substitutions/additions thrown in there.

These three are:

Lime juice
Ginger beer
Copper mug

You absolutely don’t need vodka to make a delicious Moscow Mule Mocktail. In today’s recipe, we will be using one of our flavorful white balsamics as a shrub to give this cocktail some sweetness, some tartness, and to amp up the flavor. We chose the Alfoos Mango White Balsamic.

What is ginger beer?

Ginger beer is a non-alcoholic ginger-based soft drink. Ginger beer differs from ginger ale in that ginger beer’s flavor is more robust and spicier than ginger ale, and it was once a fermented “beer” like beverage.

Ginger beer is excellent for adding a zesty kick to a cocktail, especially when there is no alcohol involved, as it provides that bit of a burn to the cocktail.

The Healthful Effects of Ginger

Ginger is considered one of the healthiest spices on the planet. It contains the powerful antioxidant gingerol, which gives ginger its signature zestiness and medicinal use as gingerol is a potent anti-inflammatory that helps fight off free radicals in the body.

Some of the fantastic health benefits of consuming ginger are:

Fighting off free radicals in the body and can help prevent cancer

Inhibiting the growth of several bacteria and aid in stopping infection

Helping with stiffness of the joints and joint pain

Assisting with lowering menstrual pain

Helping stave off or cure Alzheimer's due to gingerol’s ability to assist with oxidative stress

Assisting with chronic indigestion

Being a simple and effective cure for nausea

Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol drastically

Refreshing with no Regrets

So not only does ginger taste amazing, but the benefits of adding this rhizome into your regular diet are immeasurable. It seems to us that all this research is just here to support enjoying a refreshing non-alcoholic mocktail packed with flavor.

This Moscow Mule is not like your traditional Moscow Mule. With the absence of vodka, this would just be a blend of lime juice and ginger beer. Instead, we replace the vodka with a vinegar shrub.

What is a vinegar shrub?

A vinegar shrub is simply a blend of fruit and vinegar that creates a sweet, flavored vinegar. A shrub typically consists of a ratio of 1:1:1 sugar, fruit, vinegar. We take the extra work of creating your reduction out of the way as balsamic vinegar, whether white or dark, make for a perfectly balanced shrub on their own and add an incredible depth of flavor that can sometimes only be found in aged wines.

The fantastic part about using a shrub or balsamic vinegar in your mocktails or sodas is that there is no prep and no clean-up. All the flavor is right there at your fingertips without the worry of purchasing the ripest mango.

Balsamics make it easy to enjoy all the fruity flavors of the world year-round, and a simple tablespoon mixed with soda water can transform into an exquisite and refreshing beverage filled with deep flavor and fruity notes.

Mango Moscow Mule Recipe

Today we are creating the best nonalcoholic Moscow Mule using ginger beer as our base and the Alfoos Mango White Balsamic as our flavorful jumping-off point. These two primary flavors are blended with just a little bit of fresh ginger and mint to amplify the freshness.

If you don’t have access to fresh mint or fresh ginger, you can substitute with dried. For dried ginger, less is more, while dried mint is the complete opposite. If you are mixing from dried, you’ll get the best flavor if you use a cocktail shaker. However, if you are using fresh, a muddler or a decent wooden spoon will be your best bet.

Prep time: < 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Yields: 1 serving

Course: Cocktail

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Alfoos Mango White Balsamic

½ cup of crushed ice

Fresh mint leaves

Freshly diced ginger

Freshly diced mango for topping/garnish

Tools

Copper Mule Mug

Muddler

Directions

How to make a nonalcoholic Moscow Mule:

Add your mint and your diced ginger to the mule mug and muddle until fragrant and ginger is macerated.
Add half a cup of crushed ice. Add more if preferred.
Pour in your Alfoos Mango balsamic.
Top generously with ginger beer.
Stir with your muddler or a straw and garnish with diced mango and mint leaves.

World of Flavor in Tiny Glass Bottles

At Estero Bay, we share our love of community, wellness, and family through our love of good food and enjoying the pleasure of foods together. We take great pride in our products and strive to bring our customer base products of the utmost quality that we enjoy ourselves in our own homes and with our own families and friends.

Our premiere tea, balsamic, and olive oil recipes are the base upon which one can build an incredibly versatile kitchen and recipe repertoire without any additional skill besides your love of food.

Sources

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/dining/moscow-mule.html

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/a15873518/alcoholic-ginger-beer-vs-ginger-ale/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger

https://food52.com/blog/13831-how-to-make-shrubs-aka-drinking-vinegars-without-a-recipe