If you have been following along with us here at Tuck & Tate, you know we love a festive cocktail. Having a themed cocktail ready for our guests really sets a positive tone for the evening. When prepping for our New Year’s Eve menu, we wanted to stray away from the traditional champagne option and send the holidays off with a bang. Tate’s mom has an extraordinary number of cocktail glasses, and we decided to break out the copper mugs and give Moscow Mules a little holiday twist. 

A traditional Moscow Mule consists of ginger beer, vodka, and fresh limes. We have given them a holiday glow up by adding fresh cranberries, Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail, and fresh rosemary. This makes the mules taste like they have been mixed with spiced wine. We love this recipe because it can be made ahead of time and set out for guests in a big pitcher. 

Cranberry Lime Moscow Mules 
Makes: 12 servings 
Prep Time: 5 minutes    Total Time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• A fifth of vodka (25 oz) – we prefer Tito’s 
• 2 bottles (12 oz each) ginger beer 
• 3 cups (24 oz) of Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail **
• 4 limes, separated 
• 3 springs rosemary, separated 
• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• Crushed ice 

Directions: 

1. Combine the vodka, ginger beer, and Winter Wassail in a large serving pitcher. 
2. Cut three of the limes in half and add the juice to the vodka pitcher. Add the limes to the pitcher to add extra lime flavor to the cocktail. 
3. Use your fingers to gently bend and rub two of the rosemary sprigs- this helps release their aroma in the cocktail. Add to the vodka mix. 
4. Gently give the cranberries a light crush and add them to the vodka pitcher as well. Stir well so that all of the flavors combine. 
5. Serve the cocktails with copper mugs and crushed ice. Garnish with a slice of the remaining lime, a few fresh cranberries, and a sprig of rosemary. 

** If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, the Winter Wassail is described as a “festive blend of apple, black currant, and lemon juice” which gives the mules a spiced wine taste. You can add lemon juice, orange zest, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg to apple cider or cranberry cocktail.