Enjoy a festive and flavourful holiday cocktail with this Orange Cranberry Kombucha Moscow Mule. It’s made with gin, kombucha, cranberries and freshly squeezed orange and lime juice. It’s simple, yet fancy, and sure to impress your party guests!
In preparation for this recipe, I received gifted product from the St. John’s Fermentary. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Crumb Top Baking possible.
I don’t often share cocktail recipes on the blog, but if you know me, you know I enjoy a good cocktail or two! And what better time of year to share a cocktail recipe than the holiday season!?
This Orange Cranberry Kombucha Moscow Mule found its inspiration in a few different places:
- I’ve been obsessed with moscow mule copper mugs lately, so I thought a recipe would be good justification to buy them (wink, wink)!
- My recipe for this Berry Cherry Kombucha Sangria is quite popular, and one of my personal faves, so I really wanted to create another kombucha cocktail.
- And most importantly, I recently met the owner of the St. John’s Fermentary, and her enthusiasm for kombucha is contagious!
If you live in Newfoundland, and local to St. John’s, you’ve probably heard of the St. John’s Fermentary. They’re Newfoundland’s first kombucha fermentary, and they brew their kombucha using all organic ingredients, filtered water and flavours with wild or organic herbs and berries.
The St. John’s Fermentary also produces seasonal kombucha brews, and I was lucky enough to taste test a few. Some of their holiday flavours include Partridgeberry Spruce Tip and Mulled Apple Cider, but my favourite is their Orange Cranberry Ginger. It’s tangy but not overly sweet, and it’s such a pretty colour! Needless to say, I was excited to try it in this moscow mule recipe.
What is a Moscow Mule?
A moscow mule is typically made with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice, and served in a copper mug. The drink was invented in the 1940s, and has increased in popularity in recent years.
I’m obviously taking liberties with the traditional moscow mule recipe by using kombucha instead of ginger beer, and using gin instead of vodka. But this version if just as refreshing, with a lower alcohol content, and a little boost of probiotics from the kombucha!
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a naturally effervescent fermented tea that has been around for at least 2000 years. It’s one of many fermented foods and beverages, such as sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi and yogurt.
Fermented foods are functional foods, so the process of fermentation is much more than a preserving method. When kombucha tea undergoes the fermentation process, it develops different probiotics and acids that are hugely beneficial for digestion and inflammation. It also aids the body in assimilating your own nutrients such as B vitamins and digestive enzymes which are crucial for digestion and breaking down your food. When you add a ‘flavour’ to kombucha like herbs or fruits, it then enhances the health benefits of that ‘flavour’ because it’s pre-digested and easier to absorb.
As you can tell, the St. John’s Fermentary is a wealth of information on kombucha!
Some tips for making an Orange Cranberry Kombucha Moscow Mule:
- This probably goes without saying, but you don’t need to use copper mugs to make this drink. You can use any type of cocktail glass.
- When mixing the drink, add the ice first, then the gin and juices. Finish the drink off with the kombucha. I recommend pouring slowly as the kombucha is fizzy!
- The garnishes are optional, but they add a festive touch! You can even garnish with frozen cranberries and cut back on the ice.
- If you can’t find orange cranberry ginger kombucha, you can make a similar tasting cocktail by using another flavour of kombucha (such as orange or ginger berry) and combine it with the gin and juices.
If you make this Orange Cranberry Kombucha Moscow Mule I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or take a pic and share it on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking. And feel free to check out the St. John’s Fermentary on Instagram for more information on their locations and latest brews!
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Orange Cranberry Kombucha Moscow Mule
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail
- Category: Beverages
Description
Enjoy a festive and flavourful holiday cocktail with this Orange Cranberry Kombucha Moscow Mule. It’s made with gin, kombucha, cranberries and freshly squeezed orange and lime juice. It’s simple, yet fancy, and sure to impress your party guests!
Ingredients
- Crushed ice
- 2 ounces gin
- 2 ounces orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 6 ounces orange cranberry ginger kombucha
- Fresh cranberries, an orange slice and rosemary sprig to garnish
Instructions
- Fill a glass or copper mug half way with crushed ice.
- Add the gin and juices, and top off with kombucha.
- Garnish and enjoy!
Notes
If you can’t find orange cranberry ginger kombucha, you can make a similar tasting cocktail by using another flavour of kombucha (such as orange or ginger berry) and combine it with the gin and juices.
OMG I LOVE those mugs and would totally do the same thing and create a drink just to buy them 🙂 And this drink sounds divine. I have never heard of any of these things (I live out west, obviously) haha. Thanks for the education!
Thanks Terri! Glad I could share something new! And glad I’m not the only one that would create a recipe just to buy some new kitchen and bar ware!;)
Hello holidays in a cup! This is the perfect party cocktail, love orange and cranberry together and ginger just puts it over the top!
Thanks Kristen! Cranberry and orange are lovely together. This one is refreshing with a subtle hint of ginger!
oh this cocktail recipe looks so perfect! Now I need to find some cranberry ginger kombucha here in Toronto because that sounds like an epic flavour combo!!!
Thanks Lizzy! Wish I could send you some from the local fermentery here! You could always sub in some orange or gingerade kombucha! Hope you get to make it!
Loving the idea of using kombucha in mixed drinks! I keep meaning to start making my own kombucha, and even have a mother sitting in my fridge..i just keep putting it off for some reason! I’ll really have to give it a go over the holidays now that I’m slowing down with work!
I don’t drink a lot of soda so I love adding kombucha to cocktails. I’ve never made my own kombucha. Would love to hear how it goes when you make your own!
The recipe timing for your beautiful beverage is excellent, Leanne as I just purchased a kombucha set to start making my own. It is such a perfect seasonal recipe that I cannot wait to try. Thank you for sharing. I wish I lived closer to the Fermentary – it sounds so cool! 😊
I’ve never tried making my own kombucha! Would love to know how it goes Denise. And I hope you had the chance to make some kombucha cocktails over the holidays!
I love those copper mugs, too! Your photos are beautiful!
I’ve been making kombucha for a few years now, but more recently have been experimenting with flavour. I’m liking raspberry and apple-cinnamon, but I should also try cranberry-ginger.
Thanks so much Cathy! I’d love to get into making my own kombucha. Raspberry and apple cinnamon sound delicious!
Gorgeous cocktail Leanne. We are fans of kombucha and drink it a lot, but never would have thought to put it in a cocktail, and why not! Great idea, and this one looks delish! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Colleen! I don’t often drink soda so I usually add kombucha to cocktails! Definitely worth a try!
Leanne, you are speaking my language with this cocktail recipe. I love to use kombucha in place of sodas in cocktails, the funky fermented flavour adds an entirely new dimension and makes for a more complex drink. Love this!
Thanks Yvonne! I don’t often drink soda, so I love adding kombucha to cocktails! And you’re right, it really adds a new dimension to drinks! Cheers!
Now THIS is a holiday cocktail! Can’t wait to give it a try this weekend 😊
Thanks Philip! Be sure to let me know what you think!
I’m always game for a new cocktail recipe! Haha
Love those copper mugs….the pictures are amazing
Thanks Terry! I hope you get a chance to make one of these! And aren’t the mugs great!? 😉
I’ve only tried kombucha once and really need to try it again! That orange cranberry ginger sounds absolutely amazing and I love that you added it to a mule. Mules are one of my favorite cocktails and this is definitely something I would love!
Thanks Marcie! I’m so glad I started drinking kombucha a few years ago. It’s my go-to beverage when I’m not drinking water. Definitely worth another try! And mules are one of my faves too!
This is simply beautiful Leanne!
Thank you Patrick!
Lol…brilliant! Love how you bought those copper mugs because you ‘needed’ ’em for the recipe. You gotta do what ya gotta do, am I right 😉 ?? Hubby and I enjoy kombucha about 3-4 times/week so this cocktail needs to happen! Great to try on the weekend….geez, it just so happens to be Friday 😀 A big ol’ cheers to this one – looks so festive and bet it tastes even better! Happy Friday, Leanne!
Thanks Dawn! The mugs were a necessity for sure! I hope you had a great weekend, and were able to find time to enjoy a beverage or two! 😉
haha you’re like me, I justify buying something pretty I wouldn’t normally by coming up with a fun recipe! I’ve always loved those moscow mule mugs but have never tried making the drink myself. These look amazing Leanne and love the pretty cranberries on top. and the sprigs of fresh rosemary. Looks so delicious and festive. That local Kombucha place sounds amazing, they’ve got some cool, unique flavours. I can’t drink kombucha unfortunately so I would have to sub regular juice. Can’t wait to try this for one of my holiday gatherings (I might do some with Kombucha and some without). That Sangria sounds wonderful, too. Thanks for sharing, girl.
Cheers!
Thanks Dana! Yes, the St. John’s Fermentary has some awesome flavours of kombucha, and I think it’s great that they make seasonal brews based on the availability of ingredients. If you can’t drink kombucha, you could make the traditional moscow mule with ginger beer. Be sure to let me know if you make a version of this over the holidays!