Kick Your Heels Up with a Grapefruit Mule

For a simple spin on a long-time favorite cocktail, mix up a three-ingredient Grapefruit Mule – the classic Moscow Mule with a grapefruit twist.

I love citrus. From tiny kumquats to blood oranges to yellow and pink grapefruits, I keep my fruit bowl well-stocked and throw citrus into as much of my cooking as possible. Having all this citrus around also means that fresh ingredients are always on hand for cocktails. Grapefruit is one of my favorites, as it has a bittersweet, floral, and refreshing flavor that plays so nicely with many spirits. Shake it with tequila for a classic Paloma, mix it with gin, or do a twist on the Moscow mule for this sweet and spicy grapefruit mule.

The Moscow mule traditionally has three ingredients: vodka, lime and ginger beer. But swap out the lime for grapefruit and it’s even more refreshing, with a nice balance of sweet, spicy, floral, and bitter. Because it uses ruby red grapefruit juice, the bubbly cocktail is also a pretty shade of pale pink — perfect for springtime or to brighten up happy hour.

Why you’ll love it

• It goes down easy. While there is vodka in a grapefruit mule, most of the cocktail is grapefruit juice and ginger beer, so it’s great for those who don’t like spirit-forward drinks or want something with a lower ABV.
• So quick to make. With just three ingredients that all get stirred together right in the cocktail glass, this drink is made in just a minute or two if you start with store-bought juice.

Key ingredients in a grapefruit mule

• Grapefruit juice: I love the fresh, more complex flavor of the juice squeezed from a ruby red grapefruit (just strain out the pulp first), but store-bought juice will also work here. Make sure to buy 100% juice from the refrigerated juice aisle, not sweetened grapefruit juice cocktail.
• Vodka: This neutral spirit lets the grapefruit and ginger flavors in the cocktail shine. Here are some recommendations for budget vodka brands from bartenders.
• Ginger beer: Ginger ale’s spicier cousin, ginger beer adds a nice punch of flavor and effervescence. How spicy the ginger beer is varies by brand, so choose what you like drinking out of hand. I find Bundaberg and Reed’s to be in the middle level of spiciness that works well in a grapefruit mule.

Grapefruit Mule

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 1 1/2 ounces chilled store-bought 100% ruby-red grapefruit juice, or 1/2 medium ruby-red grapefruit
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 3 ounces chilled ginger beer
• Thin grapefruit wedge, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. If using a grapefruit, juice 1/2 medium ruby-red grapefruit until you have 1 1/2 ounces and strain out the pulp if desired.
2. Fill an old-fashioned glass or copper mug about halfway full with ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice and 1 1/2 ounces vodka. Stir gently to combine. Top with 3 ounces chilled ginger beer and stir again. Garnish with a thin grapefruit wedge if desired.

Reviews on creative cocktail books with humorous twists:

‘Mixology and Murder’: Cocktails You Can’t Drink Alone

Three themed cocktail books: ‘Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist,’ ‘Gone with the Gin: Cocktails with a Hollywood Twist,’ and ‘The Cocktail Guide to the Galaxy’

Christine Gallary is a senior recipe editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

©2026 Apartment Therapy. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

As an Amazon Associate, Seniors Guide earns from qualifying purchases of linked books and other products.