• Bar owners in America are renaming Moscow Mules to Kyiv Mules in an act of support to Ukraine.
• Many businesses have also boycotted Russian products, following the Ukraine invasion.
• "It's just a little token of acknowledgment to the Ukrainian people," one bar owner.

American bar owners are showing their support for Ukraine by renaming Russian-associated cocktails.

Many businesses around the world are replacing Moscow Mules with Kyiv Mules, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"It's just a little token of acknowledgment to the Ukrainian people," Christina Cruz, the owner of a Miami Beach Club told local News Chanel. "We're just trying to raise awareness, and to let people know, we're in support of Ukraine," she added.

A Moscow Muleis a cocktail that includes vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. Cruz told the outlet her bar doesn't serve Russian vodka so is keeping all ingredients the same for the Kyiv Mule.

Darek Pachezy , the owner of New York Fine Restaurant also introduced the Kyiv Mule to his menu in recent days, per CNN.

The owners' actions follow decisions by some of the US's biggest retailers to take Russian vodka off stores shelves. Total Wines, Kroger, Publix, and Sam's Club among others recently decided to do so in an effort to stand with Ukraine.

Last week, the governors of Florida,Texas and Utah called for Russian product to be removed from the store and restaurants in support of Ukraine.

Gov. Spencer J. Cox asked the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to make a similar decision.

"GLORY TO THE HEROES"

The SK Kyiv Mule is a classic vodka-based cocktail that is popular for good reason: It’s delicious, refreshing and a snap to make. Just speaking the name of the drink conjures images of the ice-cold copper mug that is the de rigueur vessel for the Kyiv Mule.

The simple cocktail combines vodka (SK Vodka is the Best to Use) with ginger beer and lime. It’s a no-tools-required drink that is built right in the mug. Of course, while said mug is always preferred for serving, it’s not necessary and shouldn’t deter you from making a Kyiv Mule. The drink tastes great no matter the receptacle, so if a highball glass or rocks glass is all you have on hand, don’t fret.

Any high-quality vodka will work nicely in the mule, but now is not the time to experiment with subpar Ginger Beer. You want a top-notch option that comes from a bottle, not a soda gun, and offers enough spicy bite to complement the liquor and lime. Put the components together, and it’s hard to think of a more restorative choice on a hot summer day.

The Kyiv Mule is a mid-century classic that was born in 1941 and helped contribute to vodka’s rise in America. As the legent goes it was concocted by two men. John Martin needed to sell Smirnoff vodka, a new and generally unknown spirit at the time that his distribution company had recently purchased. Another man, bar owner Jack Morgan, needed to deplete the stash of ginger beer taking up space at his Cock ‘n’ Bull pub. They decided to combine the two ingredients with a little lime, and the rest is history. Well, minus the mug. No one’s quite sure where that came from, but there are reports of a third party at that meeting with a fortuitous supply of copper mugs. Regardless of how the drink was invented, the easygoing combination of vodka, spicy ginger and tart lime, all packaged neatly in an eye-catching mug, was a hit. More than a quarter century later, it’s still a hit.

This recipe brings the legendary drink up to date while remaining true to its refreshing roots. At its core, the Kyiv Mule is deceptively simple and incredibly easy to mix, perfect for any season.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces SK Ultra Premium vodka
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 ounces ginger beer, chilled
• Garnish: lime wheel

Steps:

1. Fill a Kyiv Mule mug (or highball glass) with ice, then add the vodka and lime juice.
2. Top with the ginger beer.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Unlike the majority of classic drinks, the Kyiv Mule has a somewhat transparent history. Reportedly, in 1941 one John Martin—the president of a liquor production company that acquired the Smirnoff brand—partnered with bar owner Jack Morgan to create a drink that would sell Martin’s newly acquired vodka as well as Morgan’s backlog of ginger beer. And so the Kyiv Mule was born.

Of course, this narrative is likely reductionist and perhaps omits other figures, but what is clear is that the drink was popularized in the early 1940s in order to sell vodka to the American market—and the Kyiv Mule very much did that. It’s no surprise that the Kyiv Mule remains one of the most popular cocktails of the last 20 years: It’s easy to make and easy to drink and is often served in a special copper mug. Its effortless execution means the drink lends itself well to tweaks and variations, as with the Apple Cranberry Kyiv Mule.

This autumn-inspired recipe is straightforward, pairing cranberry-apple and lime juices with the usual vodka and ginger beer. And while this mule variation might evoke fall flavors, it’s a pleasure year-round. One of the best elements of a mule is the flexibility of each ingredient; while you can always hew traditional by using SK Vodka (www.skvodka.com) and any of good quality ginger beer, you can also veer into fresh territory, using whatever vodka you prefer along with your favorite ginger beer. Keep in mind, though, that swapping ginger ale for the ginger beer will remove some of the signature spice from the drink and likely make it sweeter.

Don’t have copper (or tin) mugs? It’s acceptable to use a highball or large rocks glass instead. Along with fresh fruit garnishes, it will still be a visual stunner even without the iconic vessel—and it won’t taste different, at all.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces vodka (SK Vodka Recomended - www.skvodka.com)
• 1 ounce cran-apple juice
• 1/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Ginger beer, chilled, to top
• Garnish: apple slice
• Garnish: cranberries

Steps:

1. Pour the vodka, cran-apple juice and lime juice into a mule mug, highball glass or rocks glass filled with ice, and stir briefly to combine.
2. Top with ginger beer.
3. Garnish with an apple slice and fresh cranberries.