You’ll Love this Bourbon Mule Recipe

This Bourbon Mule is a great twist on one of my favorite cocktails! Like the original, it’s super refreshing and ridiculously easy to make.

If you’re a bourbon fan, you’ll love this 4-ingredient cocktail whose flavors can be modified easily with fresh herbs and bitters. I’ve tried all the Moscow Mule recipes and this one is perfect for serving at parties or sipping one at the end of a long day.

This post was originally published on August 30, 2017 and has now been updated with tips and tricks to make it perfect every time. If you love easy cocktails, you need to give this one a try!

Why This Recipe Works

Bourbon is so hot right now. Not, like temperature hot. But, like, hipster-y hot.

And I know you want to make sure you are all up to speed on what the cool people are doing. Insert laughing/crying emoji face here. Because now that I’m over 40, who cares.

Since we are already bourbon fans in this house, I knew it would be delicious in a Mule.

A Moscow Mule with bourbon doesn’t taste all that different from the original. 

Swapping out the vodka for bourbon gives it another layer of flavor that is great as we head into fall. I mean, you can drink a Bourbon Mule any time of the year but for some reason, they feel especially perfect during colder weather. 

Classic Moscow Mules are delish. Ginger beer is my jam and I love how refreshing these drinks are. The fresh lime juice also makes my heart and mouth happy.

Adding the bourbon and sage makes them a great cocktail to serve at Thanksgiving or anytime during fall and winter. The sage flavor is subtle so, no, you won’t think you are drinking stuffing.

Want more bourbon drink ideas? Try this Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail, a Bourbon Champange Cocktail or an Apple Bourbon Cocktail.

Ingredient Notes

Use whatever bourbon you have on hand. (You could even use whiskey and make it a Whiskey Mule if that’s what you have).

Reed’s Ginger Beer is my favorite brand of ginger beer to use. I like the bite of ginger without it being overly sweet. But you can really use any brand.

Fresh lime juice is a must. Bottled just doesn’t give it the same zing.

A traditional mule uses a bit of fresh mint to finish it off but fresh sage pairs really well with the flavors too. It also makes it feel a little more fall-ready.

A few dashes of regular bitters is the perfect finishing touch. Or you can use a flavored bitters to add another flavor element like I did with the Bitterman’s Elemakule Tiki bitters.

How to Make a Moscow Mule with Bourbon

In a copper mug or glass, add the lime juice and Bourbon. Fill the glass with ice.

Top with 3-4 ounces of ginger beer.

Just a few drops of bitters in the finished drink and you’re all set. 

Clap a fresh sage leaf (or sprig) between your palms and place on top of the drink.

If you want a little more fresh sage flavor in the Bourbon Mule, you can muddle a little with the lime juice and bourbon before adding ice.

After making these this Bourbon mule recipe a few times you won’t even need to look at the measurements anymore.

They are SO easy and you don’t need any fancy equipment unless you want to serve them in these copper mugs. (Which you should because they’re cute).

Bitters are such a great way to add depth of flavor to cocktails. And they come in so many different varieties.

They’re usually pretty subtle but they are my favorite way to finish off a Mule. 

Tips

• You can make a Bourbon Mule even more flavorful by adding flavors that typically go with bourbon. A bit of cherry juice or squeeze of fresh orange juice would be really tasty!
• Need to sweeten this cocktail up a bit? Add a little Vanilla Cinnamon Simple Syrup! It will add another layer of flavor and pair really well with the bourbon.
• If you aren’t a big drinker, try 1 – 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon. You can always add more, but you can’t take too much away.
• Resist the urge to fill the mug to the top with the ginger beer. To keep the flavors balanced, you want to use 3-4 ounces so it doesn’t overpower everything else.

This Bourbon Moscow Mule recipe is easy to make and a fun twist on the classic mule cocktail. If you are a bourbon fan, you’ll love this delicious drink idea.

Related Recipes

I’ve made versions with strawberry and mint, pumpkin and the perfect Holiday Mule too.