Virgin Moscow Mule Recipe (The Easy Non-Alcoholic Mule)

🍸 Part of Mocktail Mania — our home for non-alcoholic cocktails that actually taste like cocktails.

Most virgin mules are a letdown for one reason: they're flat ginger soda in a fancy copper cup. A real mule bites back. Ours does, because White's Moscow Mule Mix is made with actual ginger root and ginger juice. Pour it over ice, top with club soda, squeeze in a lime. No vodka, still spicy.

Skip the ginger beer run — grab White's Moscow Mule Mix

The ginger is the whole point

A moscow mule is vodka, lime, and ginger beer. Pull the vodka and honestly you've barely changed the drink, because the vodka never brought too much flavor to begin with. What you can't skimp on is the ginger. That spicy, warming, slightly-too-much ginger burn is the entire reason anyone orders a mule.

Trouble is, most non-alcoholic versions get lazy about it. They reach for ginger ale, which is sweet and timid, and you end up with soda. We put real ginger root and real ginger juice in the mix, so the virgin version actually tastes like a mule instead of tasting like you're sick and someone brought you a soft drink.

Two ways to make a virgin mule

The easy way (about a minute)

White's Moscow Mule Mix has the ginger and lime built in. You're basically just adding bubbles.

You'll need:

• 4 oz White's Moscow Mule Mix
• Club soda, to top
• Ice
• A lime wedge and a mint sprig to garnish

Make it: Fill a copper mug with ice (or a regular glass, the copper's just for the photo). Pour in 4 oz of Moscow Mule Mix, top with club soda, quick stir. Lime wedge, mint, done.

The from-scratch way

Building it yourself? Here's the mule, minus the vodka:

• 4 oz ginger beer (get a spicy one, not the sweet stuff)
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• Splash of simple syrup, if it needs it
• Ice

Make it: Fill a mug with ice, add the lime, top with ginger beer, taste. Too spicy isn't really a thing here, but too sweet is, so pick a ginger beer with some backbone. Garnish with lime.

Want the vodka version?

Same bottle, add the booze. Two parts White's Moscow Mule Mix to one part vodka over ice, splash of club soda, lime to finish. Swap the vodka for bourbon and it's a Kentucky Mule. Swap it for tequila and it's a Mexican Mule. The mix doesn't care.

Make it your own

Spicy mule: A few slices of jalapeño if the ginger somehow isn't enough for you.

Berry mule: Muddle a few blackberries or raspberries in the bottom first.

Cucumber mule: A couple cucumber slices for something cool and garden-y.

Want more? The virgin margarita and the virgin mojito are just as quick, and the whole lineup's over at Mocktail Mania.

Virgin Moscow Mule FAQ

What is a virgin moscow mule?

A mule without the vodka. Ginger, lime, and something fizzy over ice. If you're using White's Moscow Mule Mix, the real ginger and lime are already in the bottle, so it's just mix and club soda.

Does a virgin moscow mule still have a kick?

It should, and that's the whole point. Most virgin mules are flat ginger soda. Ours uses real ginger root and ginger juice, so it's got the spicy bite a mule's supposed to have.

Do you need ginger beer for a virgin mule?

Nope. The ginger normally comes from ginger beer, but our mix already has real ginger in it. Just add club soda for the fizz.

How do you make a moscow mule with vodka?

Two parts White's Moscow Mule Mix to one part vodka over ice, splash of club soda, garnish with lime. Same bottle as the virgin one. Just add the vodka.

Are White's mixers alcohol-free?

Yep. Add a spirit when you want the cocktail, add soda water when you want the mocktail. Same bottle either way.