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These cranberry mules are a mule built for a crowd. Vodka, cranberry juice, lime and homemade ginger syrup get batched in a pitcher ahead of time, then each mug gets topped with ginger beer right before it goes out.
Mixing them one at a time is fine for two people, the way you would with a single cocktail. Once you have eight, though, you are standing at the counter all night instead of sitting down.
The homemade ginger syrup is what separates this from a bar-rail mule. Because fresh ginger steeps in the syrup rather than coming out of a bottle, you get actual heat on the finish.
I pour these next to my Fall Sangria when people come over, so there is something for the vodka drinkers and something for the wine drinkers.
Table of Contents
- What You Need for Cranberry Mules
- Ginger Beer Is Not Ginger Ale
- How to Make the Ginger Syrup for a Cranberry Mule
- How to Batch Cranberry Mules
- Tips for the Best Cranberry Mule
- Make It a Cranberry Mule Mocktail
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More for the Holiday Table
- Iced Cranberry Mules Recipe
What You Need for Cranberry Mules
- Vodka. Two cups for the pitcher. Nothing fancy, although avoid anything harsh.
- Cranberry juice. Not cranberry cocktail, which is mostly sugar.
- Fresh lime juice. Squeeze it. Bottled lime tastes metallic against the ginger.
- Fresh ginger and sugar. For the syrup, in equal parts with water.
- Ginger beer. Four cups, well chilled, added mug by mug.
- Garnishes. Sugared cranberries, lime wheels and rosemary sprigs.
Ginger Beer Is Not Ginger Ale
This trips people up at the store, so it is worth being direct. Ginger ale is a soft drink: sweet, mild and barely gingery.
Ginger beer is brewed and sharply spiced, which is what gives a mule its bite. Swap in ginger ale and you end up with a sweet cranberry soda, not a mule.
How to Make the Ginger Syrup for a Cranberry Mule
Start by warming equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves completely.
Then add a full cup of thinly sliced fresh ginger, partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Here is the part people skip. Take the pan off the heat, cover it and let the ginger steep another 20 to 30 minutes, because that resting time is where most of the flavor actually develops.
Finally, strain it into a clean jar and chill. It keeps about 2 weeks.
How to Batch Cranberry Mules
Build the base in a pitcher. Vodka and cranberry juice go in first, since they make up most of the volume.
Add the lime juice and syrup. Half a cup of fresh lime, then 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of ginger syrup. Stir and taste.
Adjust before you chill it. Cranberry juices vary a lot in sweetness, so add syrup a teaspoon at a time until it tastes right to you.
Refrigerate until cold. An hour is enough, although it can sit covered overnight.
Fill the mugs with crushed ice. All the way to the top, then pour in a generous half cup of the base.
Top with ginger beer last. About half a cup per mug, stirred once. Leave this until the moment you hand the drink over, so it still fizzes.
Tips for the Best Cranberry Mule
- Use crushed ice, not cubes. It chills faster and keeps the drink cold to the bottom.
- Chill the copper mugs. Ten minutes in the freezer makes a noticeable difference.
- Never add the ginger beer to the pitcher. It goes flat within minutes and the whole batch suffers.
- Clap the rosemary first. A quick smack between your palms wakes up the oils before it goes in the mug.
Make It a Cranberry Mule Mocktail
Leave out the vodka and add another cup of cranberry juice plus a squeeze more lime. Then top with ginger beer as usual.
The ginger syrup is doing most of the work anyway, so the drink still tastes like something rather than like juice.
Make Ahead and Storage
The base is the make-ahead part. Mix it up to 2 days before and keep it covered in the refrigerator, then all you do at party time is pour and top.
Ginger syrup on its own holds about 2 weeks refrigerated. Make a double batch if you are also making my Fall Sangria, since both use it.
Sugared cranberries can be rolled the day before and left out on a rack to dry. If you are planning the whole spread, my Thanksgiving menu lays out what goes with what.
A word on pacing. Each mug carries about 2 ounces of vodka, and the NIAAA counts 1.5 ounces of spirits as one standard drink, so these are a little stronger than they taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need copper mugs for a cranberry mule?
No, although they do keep the drink colder longer. Any glass works, so use what you have.
Can I make the cranberry mule base ahead?
Yes, up to 2 days covered in the refrigerator. Just hold the ginger beer until serving.
What if I cannot find ginger beer?
Add a little more ginger syrup and top with club soda. It will not have the same bite, but it works.
Is store-bought ginger syrup okay?
It is, although homemade tastes noticeably sharper and costs almost nothing. The recipe is in the card below.
How do I make sugared cranberries?
Roll fresh cranberries in warm simple syrup, then in granulated sugar, and let them dry on a rack for an hour.
More for the Holiday Table
Holiday Recipes
Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Side Dishes
Cornbread Dressing
Holiday Recipes
Roasted Cajun Turkey Recipe
Dessert
Honey Butter Cornbread
Iced Cranberry Mules
Ingredients
Ginger syrup (makes about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 cup fresh ginger thinly sliced, about 4 ounces
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
Pitcher base
- 2 cups vodka 16 ounces
- 2 cups cranberry juice 16 ounces
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 4 ounces
- 2 tablespoons ginger syrup plus 2 teaspoons, from above, or to taste
To serve
- 4 cups ginger beer 32 ounces, chilled
- crushed ice
- sugared cranberries, lime wheels and rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Make the ginger syrup. Warm the water and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced ginger, partially cover and simmer gently 15 minutes. Take it off the heat, cover and steep 20 to 30 minutes, then strain into a clean jar and chill.
- Batch the base. Stir the vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice and ginger syrup together in a pitcher. Taste and add more syrup if you want it sweeter, then refrigerate until cold.
- Build the drinks. Fill copper mugs or glasses to the top with crushed ice, then add a generous 1/2 cup, about 4 1/2 ounces, of the base to each.
- Top with ginger beer. Pour about 1/2 cup over each and stir once. Add it at the last minute so the drinks stay fizzy.
- Garnish. Finish each mug with sugared cranberries, a lime wheel and a sprig of rosemary.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
