This Raspberry Mule is made with a homemade raspberry cordial syrup, lime, ginger beer, and vodka. This festive cocktail for the holidays!
The holidays are a great time to enjoy handcrafted cocktails like this Raspberry Moscow Mule. It's fun to make, even more fun to drink, and perfect for parties!
The holiday season is all about enjoying decadent goodies that we might not indulge in during the year. I tend to indulge a bit during the holidays in tasty party finger foods and drinks.
One of my favorite cocktails during the holidays (or any time of the year) is this Raspberry Mule. It puts a fun twist on a classic mule cocktail. This drink is bursting with bright color and flavor.
This cocktail is made with a homemade raspberry cordial syrup that's combined with vodka, lime juice, ginger beer, and served over ice with fresh raspberries for garnish.
It's tangy, lightly sweetened, and the ginger beer provides a spicy kick. This cocktail is not overly boozy and can even be made without alcohol and enjoyed as a mocktail.
Jump to:
- What Is A Raspberry Cordial?
- Ingredients For Raspberry Mule Cocktail
- How To Make A Raspberry Cordial
- How To Store Raspberry Cordial Syrup
- How To Make A Raspberry Mule Cocktail
- What Is Ginger Beer?
- Which Vodka Is Best For A Moscow Mule?
- What To Serve With Raspberry Mules
- Can I Make This Into A Mocktail?
- Raspberry Mule Cocktail
What Is A Raspberry Cordial?
One of the things that makes this cocktail so special is the fact that it's made with a homemade raspberry cordial.
A cordial is a type of syrup that's often made with fruit, sugar, and citrus. It has a more complex flavor than simple syrup and can be prepared with modifiers such as herbs or spices.
Cordials are known for having a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors. This makes them a great addition to specialty cocktails and mocktails.
This raspberry cordial is made with frozen raspberries that are boiled with water and sugar until the mixture is thick and syrupy.
The mixture is then cooled and strained and can be added to these Raspberry Mules, or to your favorite drink of choice.
Ingredients For Raspberry Mule Cocktail
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- 12 oz. Frozen Raspberries
- 3 cups Water
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 2 tsp. Lime Juice plus more for cocktails
- Vodka
- Ginger Beer
- Fresh Raspberries (for garnish)
How To Make A Raspberry Cordial
The process of making a raspberry cordial is easy to do and well worth the effort, because it creates a syrup that's bright, colorful, and full of natural flavor without the use of artificial coloring.
It's important to remember that the syrup needs to cool completely before use, so it's best to make it at least a few hours ahead of time.
- Start by adding 12 oz. of frozen raspberries to a sauce pan.
- Pour 3 cups of water into the sauce pan along with ¾ cup of granulated sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, reduce to a low boil or simmer.
- Cook the mixture on a low boil or high simmer for 25 minutes, or until it thickens a bit and becomes syrupy. The fruit will break down a bit and the sugar will dissolve completely.
- Remove the sauce pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely (this can take 1-2 hours).
- Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into a sterilized jar or container using a fine mesh strainer to strain out all of the pulp from the raspberries (there should be no chunks). Discard the raspberry pulp.
- Add 2 tsp. fresh lime juice to the raspberry syrup and stir until incorporated.
How To Store Raspberry Cordial Syrup
This raspberry cordial recipe yields roughly 3 cups, or 24 ounces of syrup and makes enough for 12 raspberry mule cocktails.
As mentioned, it's best to prepare the raspberry cordial syrup at least 1-2 hours before use, as it needs to cool completely before serving.
It can also be made the day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This raspberry cordial syrup may be stored in a sterilized, airtight container for up to a week in the fridge. For food safety, it's best not to store it any longer than 1 week.
How To Make A Raspberry Mule Cocktail
Once the raspberry syrup has been prepared and cooled, the cocktails may be assembled and served.
A mule (also known as a Moscow Mule) is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. The classic version is made with vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer and served in a copper cup.
Mule cocktails can be modified by switching up the alcohol used and with the addition of fruit syrups. For instance, a Kentucky Mule may be made with bourbon and a Mexican Mule prepared with tequila.
This version is made with vodka, lime juice, the raspberry cordial syrup, topped with ginger beer, and served over ice.
I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice for optimal flavor.
- To make this cocktail, combine 1 ½ oz. vodka, ½ oz. lime juice, and 2 oz. raspberry cordial in a lowball or Collins glass and add desired amount of ice to the glass.
- Top the mixture with ginger beer and garnish with fresh raspberries.
What Is Ginger Beer?
Ginger beer is a ginger flavored carbonated drink made with sugar and water. The ginger flavor is strong and pronounced and is generally less sweet than ginger ale. It may or may not be filtered, depending on the brand.
Ginger beer is nonalcoholic and adds a spicy ginger kick to any drink.
I recommend using ginger beer, not ginger ale to make this raspberry mule. Ginger ale is noticeably sweeter than ginger beer. The flavor is lighter and is generally more of a 'ginger-flavored soda'.
It's best to use a high-quality brand of ginger beer, such as Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer, Reed's, Fever Tree, Q, or Maine's Root.
A good quality ginger beer may be purchased in the nonalcoholic beverage section of your local grocery store or food coop, or at your local liquor store.
Which Vodka Is Best For A Moscow Mule?
I recommend using your favorite quality brand of unflavored vodka when making a Moscow Mule.
Tito's, Belvedere, Grey Goose, Stolichnaya, Prairie, and Ketel One are all great choices for Moscow Mule cocktails.
What To Serve With Raspberry Mules
This Raspberry Mule is a great choice for cocktail parties, because it's visually appealing and has a balanced flavor that isn't overly sweet or tart.
I love to garnish these cocktails with a few fresh raspberries. The raspberries provide a pop of color and are edible.
If serving these cocktails at a holiday party, they're great paired with a cheese tray or charcuterie board or any variety of savory appetizers and finger foods.
Here are some great appetizer ideas:
- Mushroom Gruyere Tartlets
- Spiced Roasted Mixed Nuts
- Smoked Salmon Dill Ricotta Crostini
- Prosciutto Gruyere Tartlets
- Feta Stuffed Dates
- Cold Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Baklava Tartlets
Can I Make This Into A Mocktail?
Absolutely!
This raspberry mule can be served as a mocktail by omitting the vodka, or substituting the vodka for your favorite nonalcoholic spirit.
Love mocktails? Check out these recipes!
Looking for more cocktails? Don't miss these recipes!
Looking For More Festive Cocktail Recipes? Don't Miss These!
Cranberry Mimosa
Elderflower Grapefruit Cocktail
Peppermint White Russian
Eggnog Coquito
Raspberry Mule Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Raspberry Cordial:
- 12 oz. frozen raspberries about 3 cups
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups water
- 2 tsp. lime juice freshly squeezed
For The Raspberry Mule:
- 1 ½ oz. vodka
- ½ oz. lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 oz. raspberry cordial
- ginger beer
- 2-3 fresh raspberries for garnish
Instructions
For The Raspberry Cordial:
- Place a sauce pan on the stove top and add 12 oz. of frozen raspberries to it.
- Add 3 cups of water to the sauce pan along with ¾ cup of granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, reduce to a low boil or simmer.
- Cook the mixture on a low boil or high simmer for 25 minutes, or until it becomes syrupy. The fruit will break down a bit and the sugar will completely dissolve as it cooks.
- Remove the sauce pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely (this takes 1-2 hours).
- Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into a sterilized jar or container using a fine mesh strainer to strain out all of the raspberries (there should be no pulp or chunks).Discard the raspberry pulp.
- Add 2 tsp. fresh lime juice to the raspberry syrup and stir until incorporated.
For The Raspberry Mule:
- Using a cocktail jigger, add 1 ½ oz. vodka, ½ oz. lime juice, and 2 oz. raspberry cordial in a lowball or Collins glass and add desired amount of ice to the glass.
- Top with ginger beer and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Ben Myhre
This looks like an awesome cocktail! I will definitely be drinking this at some point in the future!
Christine
It's so tasty and that raspberry cordial is pretty fun to make!
Jessica
Both the cocktail and the glasses are fabulous! What a great way to celebrate the holidays!
Christine
Thank you, Jessica!
Sandi
Those little mule glasses are adorable. They are perfect for that cocktail 🙂
Christine
They are really fun to drink out of!
aimee
I love all things raspberry, and this is the perfect holiday drink!
Christine
It is super festive!
Veronica
“Top with” could you elaborate on what this means please?
Christine
It just means to 'finish off' the drink with the ginger beer. For instance - If you used 1 shot of vodka, 1 shot of raspberry cordial, and 1 shot of lime juice then you would fill the rest of the glass with ginger beer. Hope that helps!
Jean Nelson
Raspberry Coulis recipe calls for 1 large lime (6Tbsp,(Tablespoons??) .....1 large lime is closer to 6 tsp teaspoons not 6 tablespoons. please clarify recipe. Thank you
Christine
Hi Jean - You are correct. 1 large lime is 6 tsp. and not 6 Tbsp. I will update the recipe and copy to reflect this change (thank you for pointing it out). So, it should state 1 large lime (6 tsp.) in the raspberry cordial sauce and then another squeeze of fresh lime as a garnish once the drink is assembled. Thanks! 🙂
Shavelle
Where can i find the glasses that the mule is in?
Christine
Hi Shavelle - The copper coupe glasses are available here at the Ablsolt Elyx website: https://www.absolutelyxboutique.com/