How Many Calorie are in a Moscow Mule: Revealed
Tangy, refreshing, and trendy, have you ever wondered how many calories are lurking in a Moscow Mule, perhaps aiming for a version with half the calories? Are you looking for the top 10 low calorie cocktails? Look no further, we have the best suggestions including vodka sour and vodka lemon! Wondering about the net carbs in your favorite Moscow Mule?
We’re revealing the calories in a traditional Moscow Mule cocktail below and sharing a few other lower carb options that are equally delectable, including the gin and tonic among the top 10 low calorie cocktails from NIO Cocktails.
Did you ever wonder why a Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug?
Most associate copper with keeping your Moscow Mule colder and longer, quite similar to how a gin and tonic is best served ice cold. While using diet ginger beer to sweeten the Moscow Mule cocktail is a great guess, it’s not the only reason for its popularity, but also its adaptability to become a zero calorie sweetened beverage.
Vodka lemon and vodka sour also gained fame due to their unique taste and low net carbs, each having a grand total of 182 calories.
The origin of the Moscow Mule cocktail dates back to the 1940s, around the same time when the vodka sour became trendy. The copper mug was used as a unique selling point to enhance the simplicity of the Moscow Mule recipe and to create a distinct identity, similar to what the vermouth did for martinis.
To be clear, it wasn’t as simple as mixing vodka, gin and tonic for a quick low-calorie cocktail. Formulating the Moscow Mule cocktail recipe involved carefully blending vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer and it wasn’t just a clever bet.
Instead, it resulted from a bad business deal between a vodka baron, a bartender with a stash of simple syrup and tonic, and a copper manufacturer’s daughter. The baron attempted to sell his vodka in America, promoting it as a good mixer for vodka lemon and low-carb Moscow Mules, but the fitness-conscious crowd was more inclined towards low calorie cocktails and might have favored drinks with zero net carbs.
The bartender wanted to sell his line of ginger beer and simple syrup. The daughter of the manufacturing company tried to offload an overabundance of her father’s copper mugs.
So they combined zero calorie sweeteners, diet ginger beer, and vodka, and the skinny Moscow Mule recipe was born. They served the Moscow Mule, a standard Moscow Mule recipe, in the copper mugs that Sophie had so much trouble getting rid of, just as they’d serve a martini in its iconic glass.
How’s that for an interesting fact, similar to the one about gin and tonic originating from a colonial-era malaria cure, or the idea that a skinny Moscow Mule can contain as few as 100 calories? Pretty odd piece of international spy trivia, right?
The copper mug became symbolic of the Moscow Mule, much like how vodka lemon and gin and tonic are recognized for their distinctive glasses and calories per glass. It set the cocktail apart in an unforgettable way, especially when considering the calories in a Moscow Mule, which can be cut down to 100 calories to make it a low-calorie drink.
The practice of serving the Moscow Mule, or even a skinny Mule cocktail variation in a copper mug has endured, as the mug is too entwined with the drink’s identity for it to go anywhere but under a bar.
3 Tips for a Healthier Moscow Mule
With a few simple adjustments, such as using sugar free alternatives, to your Moscow Mule recipe, you can enjoy a skinny Mule again without thinking twice about the calorie count.
Here’s the rundown of creating a Moscow Mule cocktail that’s both delicious and low in calories:
Use a lower-calorie ginger beer: Q Ginger Beer or Fever Tree are two fancy ginger beer options with enough flavor to hide any nuances in your vodka and, more importantly, any taste of diet in your drink.
Choose a lighter vodka, such as one with 80 calories. Tito’s, Stoli, Absolut, Reyka, and Kettle One are all fantastic options for making a low calorie Moscow Mule cocktail without worrying about your calorie count.
Alternatively, in your Moscow Mule recipe, you could reduce the amount of vodka and increase the amount of diet ginger beer to achieve a cocktail with fewer than 100 calories per glass. This trick is a simple way to cut calories in cocktails, just like opting for a vodka lemon or vodka sour, each serving having half the calories.
How about exploring the wide world of Mule recipe variations without the calorie bombs, using substitutes like zero calorie sweetener and diet ginger ale or tonic, or using less sugar?
Bourbon, tequila, gin, or dark rum; all possibilities to experiment with when creating variations of the traditional Moscow Mule recipe. You may end up with fewer calories to boot – even as low as 80 calories for some variations!
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that while we’ve outlined several ways to get the calorie count of your Moscow Mule down, it’s also important to enjoy them respectfully in moderation as part of a balanced, adult lifestyle.
Conclusion – How Many Calorie are in a Moscow Mule
So, next time you’re sipping on a refreshing Moscow Mule, just remember that it may not be as innocent as it tastes. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying this classic cocktail, even when aiming for a version that offers a grand total of 182 calories.
As always, drink responsibly and be mindful of the calories you consume, whether it’s a Moscow Mule or a margarita, both can be modified to be lower in calories. Cheers to the deliciousness of a Moscow Mule, and here’s to making informed choices about our food and drink!
FAQs
How Many Calories in a Moscow Mule?
A typical Moscow Mule cocktail made from the traditional Moscow Mule recipe contains approximately 138 calories per serving, unlike a vodka lemon or gin and tonic, that might have around 96 calories, which you might find in other lower calorie alcoholic drinks. However, note that this may vary based on the specific brands and proportions of the ingredients used.
Why are Moscow Mules Served in a Copper Mug?
The custom of serving Moscow Mules in Copper Mugs, similar to serving a martini with vermouth, is a marketing narrative that dates back to the 1940s, with the standard Moscow Mule carrying a grand total of 182 calories. The creation of the Moscow Mule cocktail recipe was part of a three-way collaboration between a vodka baron, a bartender, and the daughter of a copper manufacturer, all of whom were looking for ways to promote their respective products. The drink’s association with its distinct copper container has stuck with it over the decades, making it one of the best low calorie cocktails that’s hard to forget.
Are There Healthier Moscow Mule Options?
Yes! As with any straight-up cocktail, a few tips and tasty substitutions can help create your healthiest Moscow-forward sips. Look for a lower-calorie ginger beer, pick a lighter vodka, cut back on the vodka and up the ginger beer, or consider trying one of the hundreds of variations that swap the vodka out completely for base spirits like bourbon, tequila, gin, and even dark rum!