Cranberry Pomegranate Mules are a festive spin on your classic Moscow Mule. Begin with the basics: vodka + ginger beer. Then tart pomegranate juice and slightly sweet cranberry juice give these mules a deep red hue—and a splash of flavor. Add a squeeze of lime, top with a festive garnish, and enjoy.

You can make cranberry pomegranate mules for a small, intimate gathering or a large party. They’re a great way to liven up a traditional cocktail at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and they’re super simple to make. If you want to get fancy, you can make sugared cranberries and sugared rosemary to add an elegant flourish.

A cranberry pomegranate mule in a copper mug ready for serving.

Why KJ Loves

Cranberry Pomegranate Mules

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Cranberry Pomegranate Mules

A quick and easy cocktail perfect for the holidays, gatherings or weekend sipping – sounds perfect to me! I love how easy this Cranberry Pomegranate Mule is to make and sip on. All while being vibrantly colored from the cranberry and pomegranate juices!

Cranberry juice being poured into a copper mug.

Mule Myths

A traditional Moscow mule is a cocktail with ginger beer, vodka, and lime—served in a copper mug.

According to cocktail lore (and The New York Times), the Moscow mule was created in the 1940s when several business owners needed to drum up more sales. Legend has it that John Martin was trying to get Americans to drink his Smirnoff vodka. Jack Morgan, a pub owner, wanted to sell more ginger beer. Some tales mention a third business owner who wanted to sell copper mugs.

Mix these ingredients together: magic.

Add an extra bit of holiday magic with festive cranberry and pomegranate, and you can’t get much better. Then sip up the holiday cheer.

Pomegranate juice being poured into a copper mug.

Cranberry Pomegranate Mule Ingredients:

1

Pomegranate juice

The dark color, sweetness, and slight tang give this Moscow mule a festive spin.

2

Cranberry juice

The perfect companion to the pomegranate juice!

3

Lime juice

Freshly squeezed is the way to go

4

Ginger beer

The “kick” from the ginger beer is supposedly why this drink is called a “mule.”

5

Vodka

The classic liquor for a mule. Easily make these mules virgin by leaving out the vodka.

6

Toppings

Pomegranate aerials, sugared cranberries, sugared rosemary or lime wedges.

Ginger beer being poured into a copper mug.

Serving Cranberry Pomegranate Mules

Copper Mugs

Moscow mules are classically served in a copper mug. There are many questionable theories out there as to why—like they keep the drink colder or enhance the flavor. Those points aside, I like using copper mugs because they’re fun!

Elegant Garnish

How to make sugared cranberries/rosemary: Run the cranberries and rosemary under warm water. Gently toss them in granulated sugar until coated, and then allow to dry on a baking sheet for at least 1 hour prior to serving. You can make these garnishes in advance and store them in an airtight container.

Fizzy Pitchers

Easily make this a pitcher cocktail! Mix together the pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, lime juice, and vodka. Add the ginger beer on top right before serving, or have bottles of ginger beer for guests to top off their glasses. Since ginger beer is the fizzy element of this cocktail, you don’t want to add it too soon, or it will lose its fizz.

An overhead photo of a cranberry pomegranate mule.

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