The holidays are the most special time of the year when everyone’s attention shifts from the concerns of the larger world toward those things near and dear that sustain us. The holidays are also a time when creativity comes to the fore: carolers sing in the lane, kids fashion snowflakes out of sheets of paper, handmade holiday decorations bedeck the homestead while elaborate light displays bring warmth and cheer to cold winter evenings. In addition food and drink of every imaginable kind from homemade Christmas cookies to the Holiday Mule (more on that in a minute) are lovingly prepared for all to enjoy.

Hitch Your Holiday Wagon to a Holiday Mule

After the meals are done and the kids are tucked in dreaming of Santa nothing beats gathering friends and neighbors round the fireplace to enjoy some traditional holiday cocktails and reminisce about good times past. While eggnog, mulled wine, hot toddies and hot buttered rum have all earned their place at the holiday table there’s always room for new traditions that will be passed down from generation to generation.

In that spirit we bring you the Holiday Mule; one of numerous variations on the classic Moscow Mule and one that seems to us as though it will have real staying power. Variously called the Holiday Mule, the Christmas Mule, the Cranberry Mule and (our personal favorite) the Yule Mule, the Holiday Mule - served in its beautiful copper mug - seems as though it has always been a part of the season. So before we go any further let’s have a look at how this future holiday classic cocktail is made.

The Ingredients

• 2 ounces of your best vodka.
• 4 ounces of ginger beer (a bit more if you desire).
• 2 ounces of high-quality, sweetened cranberry juice.
• The fresh squeezed juice of half a lime.
• Lime wedge and fresh cranberries for garnish.
• Rosemary sprig for garnish (optional).
• Ice.
• Copper Moscow Mule mug.

We can hear the logs crackling on the fire already.

The Recipe

Okay so now that you have everything it’s time to put it all together with our Holiday Mule recipe and start enjoying what may be the perfect Christmas cocktail:

• Fill the copper mug with ice.
• Pour in the lime juice, cranberry juice and vodka.
• Top up the mug with the ginger beer and stir.
• Add a lime wedge and 6-12 fresh cranberries.
• Add the Rosemary sprig.

Serve one to each of your friends, neighbors and adult family members, dust off the Perry Como LP of holiday favorites, throw another log on the fire, turn the lights down low and enjoy the good times.

The Mug

You can enjoy eggnog out of just about any type of glass, cup, mug or whatever. Same with a hot toddy or hard cider. But there’s no separating the Mule from its copper mug. The copper mug has become as keenly associated with the Mule cocktails as the Christmas tree is with Christmas. And just as a Christmas tree would seem out of place on any other holiday so too would a Mule - Holiday or otherwise - seem strangely out of place in anything other than a beautiful copper mug. But what is it about the copper Mule mug that’s so evocative?

The tradition of serving the Moscow Mule and its many variants in copper mugs goes back to the origin of the drink itself. John Martin, then head of Heublein and his friend Jack Morgan, owner of a Hollywood bar called the Cock’n’Bull, were tossing around ideas one day in 1939 when one of them (it’s debated who) thought of creating a new cocktail by combining Martin’s Smirnoff Vodka with Morgan’s house brand of ginger beer. Within minutes the Moscow Mule was born. Martin then told Morgan he wanted a way to market the new cocktail that would leave an impression. Morgan apparently had a girlfriend who worked for a company that made copper mugs and the new cocktail found its permanent home.

Serving the Holiday Mule today in a beautiful copper mug from Paykoc evokes memories of bygone days and is the perfect accompaniment to holiday decor. This is true whether you use an unlined mug or one lined with nickel or tin. The copper mug also has the ability to keep your Mule icy cold for an extended time so you can sip your drink at a leisurely pace without having to refresh the ice. (Just as an aside a four pack of beautiful copper mugs from Paykoc are not only the ideal way to serve your Holiday Mule but make the perfect Christmas gift for friends and neighbors.)

The Memories

At the end of the day it’s typically not the presents we remember about the holidays, it’s the irreplaceable things that we might pass over at the moment but recall with deep affection in later years. Like the family gathered at the table in a perfect moment of togetherness, the snow falling quietly outside the window amid the twinkling Christmas lights, placing handmade ornaments on the tree, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafting through the house. Or maybe it’s a particular piece of music, or the way dad always seemed to mist up at the end of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

Yes it’s the little things, the human things, the tactile things we recall about the holidays, just as in years to come you’ll remember sitting with loved ones around the fire, copper mug in hand, soaking in the peace and contentment that are the hallmarks of the season.

Happy Holidays

All of us at Paykoc wish you the best of holiday seasons and hope the coming year provides you and your loved ones with an abundance of health and happiness. It has been our pleasure to serve you throughout the year. We encourage you to give our Holiday Mule recipe a try and enjoy its refreshing qualities. Qualities made that much more satisfying when served in one of our beautiful copper mugs.

Perfect Holiday Gift

Do you have allot of drinkers on your holiday shopping list? Why not give them something totally unique and from the heart. An engraved copper mug, wine glass, shot glass, or beer stein shows them that you appreciate (and like to participate in) their hobbies as well as giving them a personal message that shows how much you care. For the non-drinkers on your list we offer engraving and customization on many of our gifts: jewelry, pipes, home decor are always a classic.