This Cherry Moscow Mule puts a delicious spin on the traditional moscow mule. Fresh cherries, lime juice, vodka and ginger beer are all you need to make this delicious, icy and refreshing cocktail.

We’ve got just a little over a month of summer left – Let’s make the most of it by celebrating with these Cherry Moscow Mule cocktails!

These are definitely being added to our Labor Day menu this year – They’re the perfect blend of sweet and tangy, icy and refreshing, and the little drops of condensation on those copper mugs just win my heart every time.

If you’ve ever made a Moscow Mule, you know that it’s a super simple recipe. There’s basically no measuring involved, no cocktail shakers needed and no fancy ingredients. And there are so many moscow mule variations!

How do you make a moscow mule cocktail?

Making a traditional moscow mule cocktail is simple! You just need three ingredients – vodka, ginger beer and lime. Fill a mug (or glass) with ice, add 1 shot of vodka, the juice of ½ a lime and top it off with ginger beer.

Cherries on a cutting board being pitted.

How do you measure a shot of vodka?

In the United States, a shot of liquor is generally considered to be 1.5 ounces. Here are three ways to measure a shot of vodka:

Use a tablespoon. A tablespoon holds about ½ ounce of liquid. So just pour three of those into your moscow mule.
Use a shot glass. A standard shot glass holds 1.5 ounces. Pour one of those into your moscow mule.
Learn to free pour. If your bottle of vodka comes with a pour spout on it, or if you have a pour spout at home, a three-count pour should give you about 1.5 ounces. Have fun practicing at home with a shot glass and an empty bottle filled with water. See if you can get really accurate with this. It’s a tip that I learned from my old bartending days and it definitely makes fixing cocktails much easier!

How do you pit cherries?

My preferred method for pitting cherries is placing them on top of an empty soda bottle and using a chopstick to push the pit through. Here’s a great video on how to pit cherries using this method.
You can also just smash the cherries with the flat side of a knife and then remove the pit. It’s a bit messy (as seen above) but it works just fine for this recipe where we’re smashing the cherries anyways.

Can you make a moscow mule with ginger ale?

While it will still taste good, ginger ale will make a much sweeter moscow mule and the ginger flavor will not be so pronounced. I definitely prefer ginger beer in my moscow mules because I like the bite of the ginger flavor and like my cocktails on the not-so-sweet side.

Overhead close up of cherry moscow mule.

I don’t like vodka? Can I use a different liquor?

You sure can! Here are some different liquors that you can use in a moscow mule cocktail:

Tequila – This is also known as a Mexican Mule.
Bourbon – This is also known as a Kentucky Mule.
Gin – This is also known as a Gin Buck or Gin Gin Mule.
Rum – This is also known as a Dark ‘n Stormy if it’s make with dark rum.

How to make a Cherry Moscow Mule:

Squeeze the juice from half a lime into your mug and add a small handful of pitted cherries (about 6). Muddle those together and then fill your mug with ice.
Then, you’ll add in a shot of vodka.
Top the whole thing off with some ginger beer.

The two special items you may want for your cherry moscow mule are a muddler and those cute copper mugs I mentioned before.

The muddler is used for mashing the fresh cherries. It helps to release all their yummy flavor. However, if you don’t have one on hand, you can also use the handle of a wooden spoon.

To garnish my cherry moscow mule I added a sprig of mint, lime wheels and a couple fresh cherries, but that’s totally optional.

I hope you make these cherry moscow mules a part of your last days of summer! If you do, be sure to share a picture with me on Instagram. Cheers friends!

If you loved this cherry moscow mule recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished cocktail and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings.

More Moscow Mule recipes:

More → 15+ BEST Cherry Cocktails.