Moscow Mules, easy to recognize from the copper mugs they’re served in, have remained a popular cocktail for some time now. They can be very sweet and sugary, but did you know there’s an alternative? Let’s make an easy skinny Moscow Mule with all the flavor but less calories.
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Skinny Moscow Mule Ingredients and Substitutions
Moscow Mules and Mexican Mules are delightful year-round, but come January we start thinking “skinny”. According to the Wall St. Journal, our interest in losing weight and getting in shape starts dying off the third week in January and then peaks again in March (getting ready for Spring Break, they postulate).
Well, if you want to stick to your skinny goals for a while in January and you’re willing to put in a little more effort, try this Skinny Moscow Mule. Not quite as sumptious, but still very good and only 98 calories!
Here’s what we’ll be using:
- Fresh limes. You can use bottled lime juice, but it’s not quite the same. Lemon doesn’t really pack the same punch.
- Vodka. The best vodka for Moscow Mules depends on your own preferences, but I used Finlandia for this recipe. You can also use tequila and make it a Mexican Mule!
- Ginger. And I’m talking fresh ginger root here, not ginger beer, syrup or paste. It just gives the best flavor for the least amount of calories.
- Diet ginger ale. Add some sweetness and extra ginger flavor without packing on the carbs.
- Fresh mint. To garnish, and for an extra layer of flavor.
Moscow Mules are traditionally served in a copper mug. Nowadays, this is quite a popular cocktail, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find mugs like the ones I’m using in this recipe. However, it doesn’t affect flavor, just presentation: if you don’t want to buy new mugs just for this recipe, just use a nice cocktail glass.
If you’d like to add an extra layer of flavor to your skinny Moscow Mule, that’s easy. Make a raspberry Moscow Mule, blueberry Moscow Mule, cherry Moscow Mule or even a watermelon Moscow Mule by simply muddling fresh or frozen fruits into the mix.
You can also use fruit liquors or syrups of your choice, but remember these do contain more sugar and make the end result less skinny.
Virgin Moscow Mule
Yep, this skinny Moscow Mule can easily be made into a virgin Moscow Mule! It has strong flavors that will shine equally well without the vodka. Just sub it with an extra splash of the diet ginger ale and you’re good to go.
Frequently asked questions
The traditional version can have up to 250 calories per serving. This skinny Moscow Mule clocks in at just under 100!
Normally, that depends on whether you use gluten-free ginger beer or not. This version doesn’t use ginger beer at all, so it should be celiac-safe as long as there is no cross-contamination.
Recipe for a Skinny Moscow Mule
Skinny Moscow Mule
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ oz. lime juice Use fresh limes
- 1 ½ oz. vodka or tequila for a Mexican Mule
- 1 Tbsp ginger Freshly grated
- 6 oz diet ginger ale
- 1 sprig fresh mint More for garnish
Instructions
- Add fresh lime juice, vodka, shredded ginger and mint sprig to bottom of cup and muddle (or mash together with a blunt utensil if you don’t have a muddler) to combine flavors.1/2 oz. lime juice, 1 1/2 oz. vodka, 1 Tbsp ginger
- You can strain the ingredients into your copper mug at this point if you don't like the idea of shredded ginger in your final drink). Once strained (or not) add ice to the mug and top off with diet ginger ale. Garnish with mint if using.6 oz diet ginger ale, 1 sprig fresh mint
Notes
Nutrition
If you go overboard on the cocktails and winter holiday indulgence and want some help in diet coaching, explore my (and other’s) diet coaching over at the coach.me site. It’s a great place to find online coaching of all kinds, including productivity habits, writing coaching, diet and fitness, mindfulness, and much more!
Here is a video of how to make the Skinny Mule. The guy in the background is my husband and I did NOT have anything to do with coaching him.
PS: Still thirsty? Don’t forget to check out the full cocktail category for plenty of other tasty drink ideas.
