Fun name, flavorful cocktail! The Moscow Mule is our only vodka based drink, in large part because the “[fill-in-the-blank]-vodkatini” landscape is huge, and so few of these nonce drinks require much craft.

The Moscow Mule stands out: it has a 1940s Hollywood pedigree, and it’s a great choice for a sweltering day. Cool, light, and refreshing with a zingy kick, it’s just the thing to start off a summer evening. It’s also the only drink we know of that’s “authentically” served in a copper mug, originally a marketing ploy by its inventors to create buzz and sell vodka!

Much of what makes Fix Your Drink cards great is the diligent research behind them. We strive for cocktail perfection and eschew pretense: because there are a bewildering number of brands in the contemporary vodka marketplace, we wanted to recommend the correct vodka brand: nothing bottom-shelf, nor anything pseudo-exotic in fancy bottles with fancy prices. Ultimately, we found that to really make a great Moscow Mule, Tito’s Vodka is the way to go. Handmade in Austin, Texas–so much for the “Moscow” part–it’s better than stuff that’s double the price.

If you can go so far as to acquire a copper mug as was traditional in Hollywood in the 1940s, then so much the better. They are easily found on eBay and the like, but maybe a yard sale find could save some money.