Moscow Mule glasses

The sizes sit close together, from 42 to 50 cl, and that is no coincidence. A Moscow Mule is roughly 5 cl of vodka, a splash of lime juice and ginger beer for the rest, plus a generous amount of ice. Below 40 cl that only works if you go easy on the ice, and the ice is exactly what keeps the drink cold.

Go for copper if you want the classic serve, such as the Speakeasy Drinking cocktail mug of 50 cl. Go for glass if you prefer to see what you are pouring, for example the RCR Tattoo of 42 cl. The curved and straight Speakeasy models differ only in grip and looks, not in capacity.

Fill the mug completely with ice first and only then pour. Copper conducts so well that the outside frosts over within half a minute, and you lose that effect if you add the ice last. Squeeze half a lime over the mug and leave the shell in, because that is where the oils that carry the aroma sit.

The same mug works for every variation on the theme: whisky instead of vodka, or rum. You will find the full recipe on the Moscow Mule page, and the rum version with ginger beer on the Dark 'n Stormy page.

Copper and aluminium mugs are not dishwasher safe. Detergent is aggressive enough to dull the shine in a single cycle, and on copper with an inner tin lining that layer can be damaged. Rinse them with warm water straight after use and dry them right away.

Copper darkens over time. That is oxidation, not damage. Half a lemon with a little salt, rubbed over the surface and then rinsed off thoroughly, brings the colour back. The glass models can simply go in the machine.

If you want to serve the same drinks in glass, long drink glasses are the most commonly used size. For tropical cocktails with rum, take a look at the tiki glasses. The tools that go with it are with the cocktail shakers and the jiggers, which let you measure out the 5 cl of vodka accurately instead of pouring by feel. For stirring you use a long bar spoon, so the ice stays intact.