Raspberry Moscow Mule

Made with raspberry liqueur and vodka, the Raspberry Moscow Mule is a dreamy pink cocktail. Ginger beer and lime are flawless complements to the sweet-tart raspberry flavor.

Roses are red, violets are blue. Raspberries are sweet, and so are you.

Okay, now that sickly sweet poem is out of the way, we can talk about using these ruby-red gems in cocktails, because they are seriously underrated.

Raspberries are so divine and special, and worth splurging on at the grocery store. I love baking with them in desserts like Raspberry White Chocolate Baked Donuts, Raspberry Lemon Dream Parfaits and Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies.

But in cocktails? Raspberries are even dreamier. This Moscow Mule variation stars raspberries in a way that’s going to make you love them more.

This Raspberry mule is perfect for the holiday season, the new year, Valentine’s, Easter, summertime… Because raspberries are available at many grocery stores year-round, you can enjoy this drink anytime and not just during berry season.

What is a Moscow Mule?

This recipe is a twist on the traditional Moscow mule, which is an easy, 3-ingredient cocktail of vodka, lime juice and ginger beer.

I’ve long said the classic Moscow mule is a favorite cocktail of mine. That’s mainly because the mule is also a very versatile drink because you can mix it up in tons of ways. Ginger and lime go with a LOT of different flavors.

It gets its name from Russian vodka. However, the name and recipe can be easily tweaked by varying the spirit.

You can easily switch up the main spirit like we do in the Mexican Mule (tequila), French mule (brandy), Kentucky mule (bourbon) or the Irish mule (Irish whiskey).

This classic cocktail is usually served in a shiny copper mug to keep the drink ultracold, making it perfect for hot days. Feel free to use a regular glass if you like, though!

Check out some of my favorite Moscow mule mugs:

favorite mule mugs

mule mug set

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black diamond mule mugs

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embossed mule mugs

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Raspberry Moscow Mule recipe

Another way to customize the mule cocktail is by adding fruit flavors with juices, alcohol or simple syrups.

For example, the apple cider mule and the cranberry mule, which add in apple cider and cranberry juice respectively.

Then there’s the pear mule, which uses pear vodka. The raspberry mule falls into that category, which brings in a sweet raspberry liqueur called Chambord.

Ingredients

You’ll only need to grab a few ingredients at the store to make this Raspberry Moscow Mule!

Raspberry Liqueur

This cocktail gets its raspberry flavor from a famous French black raspberry liqueur with a cognac base, called Chambord. It is such a classic ingredient that, in fact, we could even call this a Chambord Moscow Mule.

Another brand of raspberry liqueur that you can use is called DeKuyper Razzmatazz.

Raspberry vodka would also be acceptable as a substitute. Try one of these brands:

• Absolut Rapsberri
• Stoli Razberi
• Smirnoff Raspberry
• Svedka Blue Raspberry
• Three Olives Raspberry Vodka

If you’re okay with a slightly different flavor, you can also substitute crème de cassis, which is a blackcurrant liqueur, or crème de mure, a French blackberry liqueur.

Vodka

Chambord is very sweet on its own, so we’ll mix vodka into this cocktail as well for balance. It’s a perfect combination.

As I always say, use the best vodka you can afford — my go-to advice for anything with drink mixing. In my Vodka 101 post, I’ll tell you how to pick out a bottle of vodka.

My favorite vodka brands are Tito’s, Deep Eddy and Absolut. Gin, tequila, bourbon and rum can also be substituted if you’d prefer them.

Lime Juice

I always recommend fresh lime juice if you have it on hand, but feel free to use a good quality lime concentrate. I use one of these citrus squeezers to get the most juice out of my limes.

You are also welcome to use lemon juice. That might make it feel a bit more fancy and French, honestly!

Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is a fizzy, non-alcoholic beverage made from fermented ginger. I prefer the flavor of a spicy ginger beer to balance with the sweet raspberry flavor. Spicy ginger beers have a stronger zing of ginger flavor, but you can go sweeter here if you like.

Check out my list of the best brands of ginger beer to help you decide on a spice level that’s right for you.

Ginger ale is a ginger-flavored soda and is much sweeter than ginger beer, so you may wind up with a pretty sweet pink drink. However, you can make a mule with ginger ale if you prefer or if you don’t have ginger beer on hand.

Alcoholic ginger beer is also an option, but it will make this drink quite boozy. You may also try diet ginger beer if you like.

Garnishes

To make this cocktail even more beautiful than its rosy-pink color, we’ll add a few fresh, whole raspberries into the mix. If you can plan ahead, you can even add them to an ice cube tray to make some berry ice cubes.

Lime wedges are a classic garnish for the Moscow mule, so you can also use those. A sprig of mint would also be very complementary to the colorful cocktail.

You can also add a straw if you like. These pretty copper straws look lovely in a mule mug, or you can stick to paper straws.

How to Make a Raspberry Mule

You can pull off this easy Chambord mule cocktail in just a few steps. You don’t even need a cocktail shaker.

1. First, take your copper mule mug and fill it with your ice. You can use crushed ice or ice cubes.
2. Add your vodka and raspberry liqueur.
3. Top with lime juice. If you’re using a fresh lime, you can drop in the spent shell. The zest of the lime will add extra citrus bite as the drink infuses.
4. To finish, top with ginger beer. Garnish with raspberries and/or a lime wedge.

Variations and substitutions

No Chambord? No problem. You can make raspberry shrub or raspberry simple syrup, or use raspberry juice if you can find it. Use 1 ounce of either of those and add in 1 ½ ounces of vodka.

Make it non-alcoholic. You can use zero-proof spirits to make this cocktail without alcohol. I like the Ritual gin alternative, and it would work well instead of the vodka.

Right now there’s not a zero-proof raspberry liqueur that I can find, but I’ll update this here if I find one. Use the raspberry shrub or raspberry syrup I mentioned above.

Make it frozen. Follow the instructions for the frozen Moscow mule to make this into a flirty, frozen, summery treat.

Make it skinny: Use skinny vodka and diet ginger beer.

More Moscow Mule recipes

There are so many ways to enjoy a mule! Try one of these Moscow Mule variations:

• Switch up the spirit: The Gin-Gin Mule is made with gin instead of vodka. Then there’s the Dark & Stormy, which is made with dark rum or spiced rum instead of vodka.
• Make them seasonal: The Pumpkin Spice Mule is made with pumpkin spice simple syrup. Then there’s the Gingerbread Mule which uses absinthe.
• Impart fruit flavors: The Pomegranate Mule pulls in pomegranate juice and has lots of amazing wintry flavor. The Grapefruit Mule enjoys the bitter flavors of fresh grapefruit juice.

More Chambord recipes

Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur is underrated in cocktails, but it’s worth a try! Once you buy a bottle, try these amazing drink recipes to help you enjoy every last drop:

The French Martini is one of the most famous Chambord cocktails of all.

This Chambord Margarita combines tequila and raspberry for a delicious drink on Margarita Night.

For brunch, enjoy a Raspberry Mint Kir Royale, which is a delicious champagne cocktail using Chambord.

This Chocolate Raspberry Martini is a real treat. Who doesn’t love chocolate and raspberries together?!

Did you try this Raspberry Moscow Mule cocktail? Let me know what you think by leaving a recipe rating or comment below.