Home » Recipes » Holidays » 5 Minute Festive Cranberry Gin Moscow Mule

5 Minute Festive Cranberry Gin Moscow Mule

This refreshing Cranberry Gin Moscow Mule is an easy cocktail to make during the holiday season. Every satisfying sip is filled with mouth-watering flavors, from tart cranberry to warm ginger! One of my best Christmas cocktail recipes!

If you’re looking for more holiday cocktails you need to try my White Christmas Margarita or my Holiday Spiked Eggnog!

A Holiday Cranberry Moscow Mule Recipe

I love a good cranberry cocktail. In fact, this isn’t the first cranberry Moscow Mule I’ve written about! I also swear by this version, which uses rosemary infused vodka instead of gin.

That one tasted so delicious, I knew I had to experiment more with these flavors. I wanted to create a drink that could be made all in one sitting. The rosemary in my other recipe takes a couple of days to infuse into the vodka, and sometimes you need to whip up a refreshing cocktail on a whim.

With this recipe, you can do just that! And because it’s so festive and tasty, it still feels like a special holiday treat. You might have to leave these out for Santa instead of milk!

copper cups filled with cranberry moscow mule

What Is a Moscow Mule?

A Moscow Mule is a fruity, fizzy cocktail made with lime juice and ginger beer. It has the perfect balance between tart and sweet, and the cranberry juice only adds to the deliciousness! I actually wasn’t that into Moscow Mules before I started making them myself. Now, I’m obsessed! And you will be too once you try this recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

Most Moscow Mule recipes use some sort of infused vodka, but I actually love the flavor you get with plain old gin! All you need for this cocktail is the alcohol, the juices, the ginger beer, some ice and your garnishes.

  • Gin: Any brand of gin will work, so use whichever one you prefer!
  • Cranberry Juice: Tart and sweet cranberry juice is the basis of this holiday drink.
  • Lime Juice: I highly recommend using fresh lime juice rather than the bottled stuff. It’ll give your drinks the most wonderful citrus flavor!
  • Ginger Beer: I like using Fever-Tree ginger beer because of its robust ginger taste.
  • Crushed Ice: Crushed ice will keep your cocktail cold, crisp and refreshing.
  • Optional Garnishes: I typically garnish these cocktails with some fresh cranberries, a sprig of rosemary and a lime wedge or two.
mug filled with cranberry gin moscow mule

How to Make a Cranberry Gin Moscow Mule

This recipe is as simple as pouring, mixing and serving. It’s probably one of the easiest cocktails ever! You can make an entire pitcher or a single serving right in your glass.

  1. Combine Ingredients: To a copper mug or pitcher, add the crushed ice, gin, cranberry juice, lime juice and ginger beer.
  2. Garnish & Serve: Stir and garnish with cranberries, lime and rosemary. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Moscow Mule

Want the secret to a perfect Moscow Mule? These simple tips will help you make the ultimate Christmas cocktail with ease.

  • Serve in Copper Mugs: Copper mugs are a must, especially if you’re a slow sipper, because they will keep your drinks nice and cold.
  • The Best Cranberry Juice to Use: Whether you should use sweetened or unsweetened cranberry juice is entirely up to you. If you like a sweeter cocktail, go for the sweetened juice, but if you want it to be more tangy and tart, use unsweetened. You can always mix in a pinch of sugar to sweeten it up if need be.
  • Make it Alcohol-Free: Want a non-alcoholic Moscow Mule instead? This drink tastes great with club soda in place of the gin. Ginger beer, despite its name, contains less than .5% alcohol, so there’s no need to substitute it.

close up of mug filled with cranberry moscow mule

Serving Suggestions

There are so many tasty ways to serve this fruity drink. I love whipping up a simple appetizer or snack to enjoy while I sip on my Moscow Mule!

  • Serve with Crostini: Festively colored with red and green veggies, this Avocado Crostini is a super tasty appetizer to serve with Moscow Mules.
  • Garnish with Frozen Cranberries: If you’re making this drink in the summer and need it to stay extra cool, use frozen cranberries as a garnish instead of fresh ones. They’ll chill your drink without making it watery.
  • Serve with Potato Wedges: I love munching on these Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges with my cocktail. The salty, savory homemade French fries pair so well with the tart flavors in this drink.
  • Serve with Salad: This Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing has enough fresh flavors to match your Moscow Mule! It’s a healthy and delicious salad that happens to go wonderfully with this cocktail.

More Cocktail Recipes to Try

These boozy drinks are great for the holidays, but they’re also worthy of more frequent enjoyment! Plus, they’re just as quick and easy to make as this Moscow Mule.

  • Loving this recipe? Try my amazing Apple Cider Moscow Mules next! 
  • If you’re thirsty for more Christmas cocktails, this Holiday Spiced Mulled Wine is warm, cozy and tasty as can be.
  • It’s not a party without wine! And my Ultimate Holiday Sangria will be the party fav! It’s easy to make and prep ahead of time because sangria tastes better if you let it sit at least a day!
  • Gin is probably one of my favorite liquors to have during the holidays because it tastes like Christmas! If you like gin as much as me then you’ll love this Festive Holiday Pomegranate Gin Cocktail.
hand holding a mug with cranberry moscow mule
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
copper cup filled with cranberry gin moscow mule

5 Minute Cranberry Gin Moscow Mule

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This refreshing Cranberry Gin Moscow Mule is the best easy cocktail to make during the holiday season. Every satisfying sip is filled with mouth-watering flavors, from tart cranberry to warm ginger!


Ingredients

Scale

For a Single Serving

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1 1/2 oz cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 3/4 cup ginger beer
  • crushed ice
  • garnish: fresh cranberries, lime wedges and rosemary sprig

For a Pitcher

  • 1 1/2 cups gin
  • 9 oz. cranberry juice
  • 3 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 4 1/2 cups ginger beer (add this in right before serving so you keep the fizz)

Instructions

  1. To a copper mug, add crushed ice, gin, cranberry juice, lime juice and ginger beer.
  2. Stir and garnish. Serve

Notes

A pitcher yields 6 servings.

Filed Under:

pinterest image for 5 minute cranberry gin moscow mule
pinterest image for cranberry moscow mule
pinterest image for cranberry gin moscow mule

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Review and rate this recipe!

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or review here. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*.

Rate This Recipe! 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star