Cheers to this refreshing Virgin Moscow Mule! This cocktail – or “mocktail” – offers a punchy kick from ginger, tang from lime, and is alcohol free.

Ginger Beer vs Ginger Ale¹

Ginger Ale is super common and ubiquitous with brands like Canada Dry and Seagram’s. Ginger ale has a similar sugar content to other soft drinks like Sprite.  The ginger flavor comes from either real ginger or “ginger flavor”—whatever that means!  You could make my Virgin Moscow Mule with ginger ale, but I certainly prefer ginger beer.

A 12 oz can of Canada Dry Ginger Ale contains 35 grams of added sugar. This is just slightly less sugar than Coca-Cola, which has 39 grams of added sugar.  The sugar content of ginger beer is just slightly less than ginger ale.  There are many brands, but my preferred brand, due to taste and ease of finding is Fever Tree. It has 18g of sugar in a 200 mL serving, which would be about 32 gm in a comparative 12 oz serving.

Ginger BEER, was originally an alcoholic beverage originating from England in the mid-18th century.  It was made by fermenting ginger, sugar and water and had up to 11% alcohol! The carbonation came naturally from the fermentation process.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and most ginger beer’s, like the one I use in my Virgin Moscow Mule is non-alcoholic.  For a beverage to be considered non-alcoholic it needs to have less than .5% alcohol. My favorite brand, Fever Tree is made by fermentation, but it is likely that other brands use forced carbonation similar to a soda.

The big difference between the two is that ginger beer has a much more gingery kick!  It has more ginger and will almost always use real ginger, instead of “ginger flavor.” That is why I prefer to use it in my Virgin Moscow Mule. It’s the real deal, bringing fiery flavor that makes this cocktail iconic.

Ginger and Health²

We all have reached for a ginger ale to treat an upset stomach, it’s a classic remedy for symptoms of nausea.  The edible portion of the ginger plant is the rhizome, which is often referred to as the root. It can be used fresh, dried, as an oil, or enjoyed in my Virgin Moscow Mule!

The main bioactive compound that provides medicinal benefit is gingerol. It has been shown to reduce nausea in pregnant women dealing with morning sickness. It also has proven effective in reducing the symptoms of cancer induced nausea.

What’s with the Copper Mug?

Moscow Mule’s are traditionally served in a copper mug, lending an attractive aesthetic and debatable impact on my Virgin Moscow Mule. The quick origin story, a woman from Moscow, Russia came to the United States with about 2,000 copper mugs made in her father’s factory.

After an extended period of not being able to sell her copper mugs, she found a bar in Los Angeles (where she was living) to create the now iconic Moscow Mule. They devised the now famous ingredient list and made sure it was served in her copper mugs.  There’s much debate whether the copper mug actually changes the flavor and temperature of the drink. Whatever it does, I love enjoying a Virgin Moscow Mule in a copper mug. Of course, it tastes just as delicious in a regular ‘ol drinking glass!

Cheers

Now that you know why using ginger beer is the key to a good Virgin Moscow Mule all you need to do is assemble the rest of the ingredients. The lime adds an acidic tang, the club soda adds carbonation and dilutes the sweetness of the ginger beer. Enjoy!

Similar Pages

Looking for some snacks and bites to go with the Virgin Moscow Mule? Try my Pita Pizza, Mediterranean Salad Skewers, and my Buffalo Cauliflower Bites.

References

1. What’s the Difference Between Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer? | Kitchn. Accessed April 29, 2021. https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-ginger-ale-and-ginger-beer-222925
2. Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Accessed April 29, 2021.

Virgin Moscow mule

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: beverages, Drinks

Keyword: moscow mule, non-alcoholic beverage

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 serving

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

• 1 cup non-alcoholic ginger beer
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup
• Garnish: slice of lime
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka - optional for alcoholic version

Instructions

• Fill a copper mug or glass with ice.
• Add ginger beer, lime juice, club soda, and simple syrup and stir.
• Garnish with lime.

Video

Notes

Virgin: non-alcoholic version

For an adult version, add 1 1/2 ounces vodka