

| Subject: |
The Moscow Mule REAL STORY...
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| From: | The Mule Man
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| Posted: |
Tue Feb 3. 2015, 08:56 UTC
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How It All Started...
If you, like millions of Americans, have recently discovered the taste
explosion of the Moscow Mule, you’ve probably taken a moment to learn a bit
about this curious cocktail. All the research in the world won’t provide you
with an accurate picture of this uniquely American cocktail’s history though.
Take a trip back in time with us, and you’ll learn the hidden past of the
Moscow Mule and discover just how the copper mug became such an important
piece of the puzzle.
In 1941, Sophie Berezinski was a woman on a mission. She had immigrated to
the United States from Russia and was carrying a heavy burden: 2,000 solid
copper mugs. Sophie’s father owned and operated a copper factory in Russia
known as the Moscow Copper Co. Back in Russia, Sophie had created the design
for the original copper mug that is now so famously linked to the Moscow Mule
cocktail. Her father ran the presses that stamped out the mugs.
The one tool both Sophie and her father lacked was the slick skills of a
salesman. Neither Sophie nor her father was able to sell the mugs in Russia,
so the decision was made that Sophie and the mugs would journey to America.
After all, it was well known that America was the land of opportunity.
However, after some time, the mugs seemed destined for the scrap heap in
America too. Sophie’s husband Max was tired of the copper mugs cluttering the
house, and issued her an ultimatum: "Find a buyer for the mugs or I’m tossing
them."
Sophie couldn’t bear to see the solid copper mugs she had designed and
manufactured with her father end up in a landfill. She began desperately
seeking out a buyer, walking door to door in Hollywood in search of a
restaurant or lounge owner interested in the mugs. During one of her long days
in search of a buyer for the mugs, fate intervened at the famous Cock ‘n’ Bull
pub on the Sunset Strip.
The Day History was Made
Sophie walked into the Cock ‘n’ Bull pub at just the right time, on the right
day in 1941 to help create a cocktail America would fall in love with. John
Martin had purchased the floundering Smirnoff Vodka distillery (yes, that
Smirnoff) in the 1930’s. Though he was successful as the head of G.F. Heublein
& Brothers, a food and spirits importer that made A1 steak sauce popular, he
wasn’t as fortunate with vodka.
Americans had no interest in vodka. Beer, whiskey, and other cocktails ruled
the roost in America at this time. Jack Morgan was in a similar bind. As owner
of the Cock ‘n’ Bull, he was trying to introduce America to his own brand of
ginger beer. The two men were already good friends when they met at Morgan’s
pub to drown their woes. As the duo lamented their lackluster sales and sought
redemption for their respective products, in walked Sophie with her solid
copper mugs.
As Sophie would tell the story, the trio spent hours developing a drink that
would bring together the fizzy nature of the ginger beer, the punch of the
vodka, and the cold properties of copper to create the next great cocktail.
After a number of taste tests and a few failed concoctions, they stumbled upon
a recipe for a cocktail that would solve all their problems. The Moscow Mule
was born on that day in 1941. The perfect combination of vodka and ginger
beer, housed in a solid copper mug that kept the drink cold and enhanced its
flavor and aroma, resulting in a cocktail that America would fawn over for the
next two decades.
Setting the Record Straight
For decades, Sophie’s role in the creation of the Moscow Mule remained
shrouded in mystery. Always referred to as the “third party” or "unnamed
contributor,” it was Sophie’s solid copper mugs that gave the cocktail its
distinct presentation. Today, her grandson JJ Resnick operates the Moscow
Copper Co. to provide the new generation of Moscow Mule fans with Sophie’s
Original Mule Mug.
When Sophie introduced John and Jack to her original solid copper mugs in
1941, they were made of 100% heavy gauge copper. The mugs had a simple, yet
attractive design. The Moscow Copper Co. original mugs sold today are those
same mugs reintroduced that Sophie walked into the pub with over 70 years ago.
We call our copper mule mugs “The One, The Only…The Original,” for a reason.
The mugs we make today at our small, family owned company are manufactured
following Sophie’s exacting specifications . We use the original molds from
Sophie and follow her notes to the letter, including the directions for
affixing the heavy gauge solid copper handle. Every other “original” mule mug
on the market today is an imposter. The Moscow Copper Co. Original Mule Mug is
the only one based on the original design.
There are only 2,000 of these limited edition Original Copper mugs available
today, just as there were in 1941. Each mug comes with a numbered stamp,
indicating its place in the limited edition run. Your mug also comes with a
“Certificate of Authenticity” card identifying the copper technician who gave
your mug the final inspection before leaving the factory. All of our mugs come
with a lifetime guarantee. The next time you hoist a Moscow Mule, lift it in
the mug its creators intended. Lift it in a Moscow Copper Co. Original Mule
Mug.
Visit MoscowCopper.com to learn more or to get your Original Moscow Mule pure
copper mug.
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