Fresh, crisp Strawberry Moscow Mules made with homemade strawberry simple syrup. This recipe contains options for making a low-sugar Moscow Mule for those who are trying to lower their sugar intake.
With summer and berry season upon us, I’ve been craving fresh and funky berry-infused cocktails. If you’re a fellow lover of the Moscow Mule, but you’re looking for a little somthin’ somthin’ to change things up, these Strawberry Moscow Mules are for you!
We combine homemade strawberry simple syrup with vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer to make an extra frisky cocktail.
What is a Moscow Mule?:
In case you aren’t familiar, a traditional Moscow Mule is simply ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice.
This crisp and refreshing different take on the traditional cocktail includes a homemade strawberry simple syrup, which we sweeten with pure maple syrup (or coconut sugar) instead of cane sugar to keep it a little mo’ naturale.
How to Make Strawberry Moscow Mules:
Heat all ingredients for the strawberry simple syrup (except pure vanilla extract) in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally.
When strawberries begin to soften, mash them with a fork. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook at least 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the strawberry pulp or save it for a smoothie or muffin recipe. Store simple syrup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Fill a shaker with ice and add the ingredients for one Moscow Mule. Shake well and serve in a copper mug filled with ice with a lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint.
Combining the homemade strawberry simple syrup with homemade ginger beer makes for a delicious, fresh and crisp cocktail that is lower in sugar but still super pleasing to the ol’ palate. If you’re like me and you prefer your cocktails “skinny,” this is a pretty solid approach.
What Kind of Ginger Beer to Use:
Let’s talk ginger beer for a hot second. I’ve been making my own Homemade Ginger Beer for five years, and lemme just tell you, it will take your Moscow Mule steaze to next-level amazing. The recipe is actually still one of the most-visited recipes on my site!
Making ginger beer yourself results in a super low-sugar ginger beer that is still full of sweet, tangy, gingery flavor but is actually quite healthful. The recipe is made with yeast, which eats the sugar as it ferments, leaving you with a ginger beer that’s nice and fizzy and sweet while being much lower in sugar than the store-bought alternative.
My recipe does require a couple of days because we’re allowing it to sit and ferment, so you’ll want to hop on this ahead of time.
You can absolutely go the store-bought route for the ginger beer portion, but just know there is always the option to make it homemade. There are also homemade ginger soda recipes that give you an immediate result (but still contain a lot of sugar), so bear that in mind as well.
Sweetener Options:
For the strawberry simple syrup, you have options as well. You can turn it into a traditional simple syrup by subbing cane sugar for the pure maple syrup, or use coconut sugar, honey, or coconut palm syrup.
Simply substitute 1:1 for any changes you make to the sweetener. The exception would be if you’re subbing for a zero-sugar sweetener like xylitol, erythritol, Stevia, etc. For zero-sugar sweeteners, start with 2 tablespoons and go from there.
And with that, I give you Strawberry Moscow Mules for your sipping enjoyment! Have a great weekend, and as always, do all the things I would do 😉
More Skinny Cocktail Recipes:
- Tropical Avocado Cocktails
- Lemon Thyme Bourbon Cocktails
- Tropical White Sangria
- Pineapple Rose Sangria
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @TheRoastedRoot on Instagram!
Strawberry Moscow Mules
Ingredients
For One Strawberry Moscow Mule:
- 2 ounces vodka adjust to taste
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
- 4 ounces ginger beer
- 2 ounces strawberry simple syrup see recipe below
For Serving:
- fresh mint leaves
- lime wedges
Strawberry Simple Syrup:
- 4 cups fresh strawberries chopped
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
Instructions
Prepare the Simple Syrup
- Heat all ingredients for the strawberry simple syrup (except pure vanilla extract) in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. When strawberries begin to soften, mash them with a fork. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook at least 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the strawberry pulp or save it for a smoothie or muffin recipe. Store simple syrup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the Moscow Mules:
- Fill a shaker with ice and add the ingredients for one Moscow Mule. Shake well and serve in a copper mug filled with ice with a lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint.
YUM!!!! I cant wait to try this!
Yaaaas, you will love it, m’dear!! xoxo
I was just curious, didn’t know what a Moscow Mule was. It sounds refreshing tho!!
I really like strawberries but these days I really scared about the parasites found in it 🙁 can you please suggest any alternatives for this recipe instead of strawberries? can I use watermelon?
Ummmm. Do you know of any parasites the might survive the 10-15 minutes of boiling and simmering that these strawberries undergo? If so, we should all be VERY afraid.
I seriously LOVE strawberries and also love making cocktails at home…much cheaper! Thanks so much for this recipe…perfect for summer entertaining!
WOW! They looks super cool for the summer ?
I’ve never heard of ginger beer before. Cannot to try both ?
Hi Natalie! Yaaaas! I hope you like it! Store bought ginger beer is basically just ginger soda, but classic authentic ginger beer is fermented and actually contains probiotics. Let me know if you try the Moscow mules! xo
I just discovered your site while looking to make ginger beer at home. Going to make a batch today.
Thanks Julie!
Gingerly,
Tammy
Sorry for the misspelling of your name, Julia!
-Tammy
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Tammy! I hope you enjoy! xo
Could you please clarify the recipe to reflect that the vanilla extract should be added to the simple syrup (I am guessing?) after it has been strained? You have it on the ingredient list, but you don’t describe what to do with it. Outstanding recipe, otherwise. I’m making a batch right now with fresh key limes.
These look amazing!!
I made the strawberry simple syrup today and we will be having these tomorrow for our 5pm cocktail!!
Thank you!!
How long is the strawberry syrup good for?
Hi Lisa! It will keep for 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the refrigerator 🙂
How many cocktails will the strawberry syrup make?
How many ounces does the simple syrup recipe make? Trying to figure out if I need to double or triple the recipe to make a certain amount of cocktails