Moscow Mule Cocktail

Moscow Mule Cocktail Story

Though businessman Rudolph Kunett introduced Smirnoff to the US market in 1933, by 1938, he sold the company to John Martin of Heublein, a foreign goods import/export company. Vodka was a hard sell during World War II, when patriotism - and a penchant for whiskey - was at an all-time high. Ginger beer wasn’t selling well either. Ginger beer, new to the public’s palate, hadn’t quite gained in popularity either. So when Martin swung by the celebrity-favored Cock ‘N’ Bull bar in Los Angeles where owner Jack Morgan had an overstock of ginger beer, the two combined their surplus inventory, and the Moscow Mule was born. As a creative marketing hook, Morgan and Martin decided to serve the mules in original copper mugs, encouraging bartenders to pose for photos with the cocktail along with a bottle of vodka to promote the new delicacy. The ploy was a success, as photographs and free mugs spread the Moscow Mule’s popularity from bar to bar.