Because I frequent gastropubs, I tend to lean towards the microbrews and the hefeweissens, and for a while, I thought mix drinks are for the ungrads and the days at the Continental. But old fashion drinks are coming back en vogue. I recently visited my sisters’ in Hoboken, and we went to The Turtle Club. The menu had an assortment of classic drinks, with clever names, and I couldn’t just get a beer. I ordered a “Terrapin Station” – vodka, ginger beer, and muddle oranges and limes - otherwise known as a Moscow Mule. This is definitely my new favorite drink, and I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, since the visit three weeks ago!
I looked up the history of this drink. To think that the star of this drink – vodka – was once a faux pas on the drinking scene amazes me. In the 1930’s “white whiskey” was too overpowering for most Americans, and it was often shelved away. It wasn’t until John Martin began a clever marketing campaign for Smirnoff with the founder of Morgan’s Ginger Beer, who was also having problems selling his homemade brew. Together, they concocted a mixture with vodka, ginger beer and a twist of lime – calling it the Moscow Mule. It was served over ice in a copper mug that displayed the Moscow Mule brand (just like the mug I had!)
By the 1950’s vodka was all the rage. To differentiate their drink from the rest (and to sell more Smirnoff) Martin photographed bartenders with a bottle of Smirnoff aside their signature copper mugged drink. He would leave a copy of the Polaroid at the bar, and then he would take a copy with him to the next bar ask for the “secret cocktail.” Coast to coast, everyone was asking for the “secret cocktail.” So although the vodka martini was initially the most popular vodka drink, the Moscow Mule brought vodka to mainstream acceptance in America.
