Cranberry Kentucky Mule

Use this Cranberry Kentucky Mule recipe to make a delicious cranberry Moscow mule at home with bourbon instead of vodka. Top your bourbon mule with a piece of candied ginger for an extra fancy at home cocktail.

Mix up a cranberry mule for date night or a dinner party at home

I came up with the idea for a Cranberry Kentucky Mule because I really like bourbon and Amy really likes Moscow mules. I wanted us to have a drink that we could both enjoy together on dates nights at home!

With the beautiful red hue of the 100% cranberry juice, this Kentucky mule recipe is a perfect Valentines Day or Christmas cocktail. Even if you aren’t a bourbon fan yet, I think this bourbon mule will change your mind.

What kitchen tools will I need to make this Kentucky mule recipe?

• Small sauce pan for simmering cranberry juice
• Double sided cocktail jigger for measuring bourbon
• Sharp knife and cutting board for cutting and peeling fresh ginger

How can I make a restaurant style cranberry Moscow mule at home?

One thing I miss about spending time in bars and restaurants is being served a fancy cocktail. Recently I realized that I can make some super fancy cocktails at home with just a few extra items.

• Silicone crushed ice trays – I can use these silicone trays to make bar quality crushed ice at home in my freezer.
• Candied ginger to garnish – Bars have the best garnishes! I chose candied ginger to add to this cranberry Kentucky mule to really bring out the ginger in the ginger beer.
• Whiskey glasses – since I am using bourbon for this Moscow mule I thought it would be fun to serve it in a whiskey glass.

What ingredients will I need to make this bourbon mule?

• Cranberry juice – I like to use 100% unsweetened cranberry juice for this recipe
• Fresh ginger
• Bourbon whiskey – you can use rye whiskey for this drink if you prefer
• Ginger beer – you can use any style you like but I usually buy one with a natural ginger flavor

Let’s make a Cranberry Kentucky Mule!

Step 1: Simmer the cranberry juice with ginger to reduce

To begin, smash nub of ginger with the back of your knife. Add ginger to a small sauce pot with the cranberry juice. Heat over high heat until the mixture boils.

Reduce to a simmer (low heat) and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, allow the juice to cool, and pour reduced cranberry juice through a strainer to strain out the ginger.

Step 2: Assemble the bourbon mule

Then, fill two whiskey glasses with ice. Pour half of the reduced cranberry juice into each glass.

Pour 1.5oz of bourbon into each glass. Fill each glass to the top with ginger beer.

Step 3: Garnish and serve

Gently stir each cocktail with a spoon and garnish with candied ginger, if desired, and serve!

Serve these delicious appetizers with your Kentucky Mule recipe!

• Trader Joe’s Holiday Cheese Board
• Creamy White Bean Hummus
• Classic Cold Crab Dip

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Recipe

Cranberry Kentucky Mule

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Bourbon mule made with ginger beer and cranberry juice!

Recipe By: Madeline

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 25 minutesTotal: 30 minutes

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Servings: 2 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cranberry juice (100% cranberry juice)
• 2 inch nub peeled fresh ginger
• 3 oz bourbon whiskey
• 12 oz can or bottle of ginger beer
• Candied ginger to garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Smash nub of ginger with the back of your knife. Add ginger to a small sauce pot with the cranberry juice. Heat over high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce to a simmer (low heat) and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, allow the juice to cool, and pour reduced cranberry juice through a strainer to strain out the ginger.
2. Fill two whiskey glasses with ice. Pour half of the reduced cranberry juice into each glass. Pour 1.5oz of bourbon into each glass. Fill each glass to the top with ginger beer.
3. Gently stir each cocktail with a spoon and garnish with candied ginger, if desired, and serve!

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.