Moscow Reindeer Cocktail recipe
Rating
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Moscow Reindeer sits in the same family as the Moscow Mule: a vodka-and-ginger-beer highball built around bright citrus and a clean, easy-drinking profile. Unlike true classics with a fixed origin story, this one reads as a modern, seasonal-leaning twist, swapping in a minty lift that makes the familiar Mule template feel a little fresher and more aromatic. You’ll find it straightforward, crowd-pleasing, and instantly recognisable if you already like vodka long drinks.
On the palate, vodka keeps things crisp and neutral, letting the ginger beer do the heavy lifting with its spicy-sweet bite and lively fizz. Lime juice cuts through with sharp acidity, tightening the drink and keeping the sweetness in check. Mint leaves add a cool, green fragrance that sits on top of the ginger, making each sip feel brighter and more refreshing without changing the drink’s clean, zesty core.
Serve it when you want something brisk and sociable: it suits casual get-togethers, festive evenings, or anytime you’d normally reach for a Mule but want a fresher edge. If you enjoy citrus-forward drinks with a gingery kick and a cooling herbal finish, this is an easy pick that stays light, lively, and sessionable in a rocks glass.
Microbadges
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Cocktail Colin says:
Vodka stays clean and neutral while lime juice brings sharp brightness, and ginger beer dominates with spicy fizz as mint leaves add a cool, leafy lift on the finish. The ginger heat cuts through the ginger beer’s sweetness and the lime keeps it snappy, making it ideal for mule lovers who want a fresher, mintier sip without extra complexity.
Method
How to make a Moscow Reindeer
- Vodka 60ml, Lime juice 22.5ml, Ginger beer 180ml, Mint leaves 8
-
- Muddle the mint leaves in a bottom of the glass with a little crushed ice
-
- Top up with the crushed ice before pouring in the vodka and lime juice
-
- Top up with ginger beer and stir
-
- Garnish with a couple of mint leaves and add a biodegradable straw before serving
Power tips
Elevate the Moscow Reindeer with these master mixologist tips
Upgrade to premium
And receive world class tips on how to raise your cocktails to the next level.
Find out more- When muddling the mint, avoid pulverizing it completely. Gentle muddling releases the essential oils without introducing bitterness.
- Using a craft ginger beer with a strong, spicy profile enhances the drink's complexity. The ginger flavor should be prominent but not overpowering.
- Upgrade to premium to receive even more power tips on this cocktail.
Your private tasting notes
Featured in
FAQ's
How should the mint leaves be prepared for the Moscow Reindeer cocktail?
The mint leaves should be gently muddled or lightly bruised before adding to the cocktail to release their aromatic oils without turning the drink bitter. This ensures the mint flavor is infused throughout the Moscow Reindeer, enhancing its freshness.
What is the best way to serve the Moscow Reindeer to enhance its flavors?
The Moscow Reindeer should be served in a chilled lowball glass to maintain its cold temperature. Adding a few ice cubes before pouring the mix over will keep it refreshing. Serving it cold highlights the crispness of the lime juice and the fiery kick of the ginger beer.
How does the alcohol content of the Moscow Reindeer compare to a standard Moscow Mule?
The Moscow Reindeer has an alcohol content of 8.86%, which is slightly higher than a standard Moscow Mule due to the increased volume of vodka. However, the overall difference might be subtle, as the dilution from the ginger beer and the addition of lime juice can vary the perceived strength between individual servings.
Can I use a different type of beer in the Moscow Reindeer if I don't have ginger beer?
While ginger beer is a defining ingredient of the Moscow Reindeer, if unavailable, you can substitute it with ginger ale for a less spicy, but still flavorful, alternative. Remember, ginger ale will make the drink sweeter and less pungent than ginger beer.
What is a good non-alcoholic variation of the Moscow Reindeer?
A delicious non-alcoholic variation of the Moscow Reindeer would replace the vodka with additional ginger beer or a ginger-flavored carbonated water, keeping the lime juice and mint leaves. This version maintains the essential flavors of the cocktail while being suitable for everyone to enjoy.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Access to Cocktail Colin; ask Cocktail Colin anything on an individual cocktail and he'll give you the answers you need.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out moreYou might also like
Refresh with this twist on the classic Moscow Mule
Cucumber Mule
Vodka, Lime juice, Ginger beer, Cucumber
Discover this invigorating fusion of ginger and mint.
Ginger Mojito
White rum, Lime juice, Ginger beer, Sugar / simple syrup, Mint leaves, Ginger
Discover this dynamic fusion of tequila and ginger.
El Diablo
Tequila blanco, Creme de cassis, Lime juice, Ginger beer
Experience this vibrant, non-alcoholic ginger fizz.
Gunner
Ginger ale, Lime cordial, Ginger beer, Aromatic bitters
Create a cocktail
Choose a theme and some ingredients, give us some description and we'll create an amazing cocktail for you.
Register as a Premium Make Me a Cocktail community member and get access to an even more powerful creator.
Start creatingBuild your bar
Tell us what you have at home and we'll find a delicious cocktail for you to make right now.
Register as a Make Me a Cocktail community member and we'll save your ingredients list so you can come back to it at any time.
Create My Bar
Cocktail Colin
Your cocktail expert
Hi! I'm Cocktail Colin
Ask me anything about this cocktail - how to make it, substitutions, variations, or any other questions!
Become a member to access Cocktail Colin
Become a member (for free) to pick Cocktail Colin's cocktail filled brain on everything on this cocktail, from substitutions, if you can use what you have, to serving suggestions and more.
Become a member
Comments