Moscow Mule Vs. Texas Mule: What's The Actual Difference

As the weather warms, plenty of us crave refreshing cocktails. A classic Moscow mule is one of the best-loved staples, perfect for whipping up spontaneously on a summer evening or preparing for guests at an outdoor dinner party. But there are ways to riff on the Moscow mule, and if you want to shake things up a bit, try one of the most crowd-pleasing updates: the Texas mule. 

We know everything's bigger in Texas, but the Texas mule isn't just a super-sized Moscow mule. A Moscow mule is vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice, typically garnished with lime and mint and served over ice. A Texas mule ditches the vodka for tequila. It's kind of like combining the Moscow mule with another popular go-to, Texas ranch water, which also uses tequila but with lime juice and Topo Chico rather than ginger beer.

In general, a mule is a cocktail combining three key ingredients: A base spirit, ginger beer, and citrus. It has to be ginger beer, which is different from ginger ale, in that it's actually fermented with ginger and so is more intensely flavored and spicy. But beyond that, the mule format is game for experimenting. Vodka in the Moscow mule lends a neutral background for the ginger's sweet heat and lime's bright tartness to shine. Tequila in the Texas mule contributes complexity, complementing the ginger and lime with grassy, vegetal, fruity notes. Together, these three ingredients balance sweetness, acidity, and earthiness for a well-rounded profile that zings with carbonation.

The mule category has always been played with, primarily by switching up spirits. A Kentucky mule calls for bourbon, an Irish mule for Irish whiskey, a Glasgow mule for scotch, a mezcal mule with mezcal, and so on. Ginger and lime are big flavors but also quite versatile, so they play well with so many different spirits. You can get creative — add gin and create a London mule, use rum for a Caribbean mule, or splash in aquavit for a Scandinavian mule.

For a Texas mule, first know the different types of tequila. White or silver tequila is unaged, so it's light, tropical-fruity, spicy, and herbaceous. Its lightness is on par with vodka, so you'd get a similar experience to that of the Moscow mule, but it has a lot more flavor and complexity, all complementary for ginger and lime. Gold or joven tequila blends unaged and aged tequila, bringing in some delicious vanilla and pear notes that work well for this cocktail. Once you get into aged tequila, the flavor might be too dominant for a Texas mule — plus, pricey spirits are best sipped on their own.

There are endless ways to further upgrade your Texas mule, too. Muddle in jalapeños for some heat or mint for zesty freshness, or add a splash of a fruit puree or liqueur like peach, mango, or raspberry. Or go one step further and make your own simple syrup with that mint, those peppers, any fruits, or basil or hibiscus.