Glassware

Copper Mug

A copper mug is a handled metal mug, 57cl in Urban Bar’s own Ginza cup, lined inside with stainless steel or nickel. Packed with cubed ice, it holds a mule of spirit, lime and ginger beer, and the metal frosts quickly, so the rim feels cold against the lip. Our Moscow, Dublin and Mexican Mules all go in one.

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An empty copper mug with a hammered outside and a curved handle, its stainless steel lining visible at the rim, on a white background.

The tool

About the Copper Mug

The Mule Made the Mug

The copper mug arrived with the Moscow Mule, which the Oxford Companion says purportedly originated in 1941 at the Cock ’n Bull pub in Los Angeles. John G. Martin, president of Heublein, was promoting Smirnoff vodka in the United States, and the pub’s owner, Jack Morgan, was hoping to improve sales of his ginger beer.

VinePair’s Osalene Schmitt reports that Martin went from bar to bar taking Polaroids of bartenders posing with a copper mug and a bottle of Smirnoff, sparking sales of both.

Copper Passes Cold and Warmth Quickly

Copper carries heat hundreds of times faster than glass. A mug full of ice takes on its temperature almost at once and frosts on the outside, and the rim is cold against the lip.

That speed works both ways. A hand round the body warms the metal just as fast, which is what the handle is for. Ice cools the drink; copper changes how cold it feels.

Buy It Lined

Lime juice and ginger beer are both acidic, and copper can pass into acidic drinks. The US Food Code bars bare copper from contact with foods more acidic than pH 6.0.

The US FDA Food Code bars copper and copper alloys from contact with food below pH 6, such as vinegar, fruit juice or wine, so a lime-sharp mule belongs in a lined mug; the lining is what keeps the drink off the copper. Buy a lined mug, and retire it if the lining wears through.

Copper mug against other vessels for a mule (the Ginza cup from Urban Bar’s listing; highball from our shop; the rest our guidance)

Lined copper mug

Usual size: 57cl (Urban Bar’s Ginza cup); our guidance 40cl or more
In the hand: Frosts fast; cold rim
Notes: Hand wash only

Unlined copper mug

Usual size: Our guidance 40cl or more
In the hand: The same
Notes: Not for acidic drinks

Highball glass

Usual size: 38 or 42cl (our shop)
In the hand: Cool, not frosted
Notes: Shows the drink; dishwasher-safe

Stainless steel mug

Usual size: Our guidance 40cl or more
In the hand: Cold, slower to frost
Notes: Hard-wearing; no polishing

Vessel	Usual size	In the hand	Notes
Lined copper mug	57cl (Urban Bar’s Ginza cup); our guidance 40cl or more	Frosts fast; cold rim	Hand wash only
Unlined copper mug	Our guidance 40cl or more	The same	Not for acidic drinks
Highball glass	38 or 42cl (our shop)	Cool, not frosted	Shows the drink; dishwasher-safe
Stainless steel mug	Our guidance 40cl or more	Cold, slower to frost	Hard-wearing; no polishing

Ice to the Top, Then the Drink

Pack the mug to the brim with cubed ice, pour in the spirit and lime, top with ginger beer and stir once. Our Moscow Mule is 45ml vodka, 10ml lime and 120ml ginger beer; the Dublin Mule uses Irish whiskey with a little sugar syrup and 90ml of ginger beer.

Using it

Using the Copper Mug

Usage

Mules built over cubed ice: the Moscow Mule, the Dublin Mule, the Mexican Mule, the Jamaican Mule and the Pack Mule, each about 145 to 200ml of spirit, lime and ginger beer. Pack the mug with ice to the brim, build the drink in it and stir once.

Pro Tip

Pack the mug with ice and give it a minute before building the drink. The metal takes on the cold almost at once, and the frost on the outside is the sign it is ready for the spirit.

Professional Tips

Check the inside is lined before the first drink goes in.
Pack it to the brim with cubed ice, then build the drink.
Hold it by the handle; a hand round the body warms the metal fast.
Chill it in the fridge first if there is room.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A highball glass. It holds the same mule over a tall stack of cubes, and most of our mule recipes give it as the alternative.

Premium Option

A heavier mug with a thick copper body and a stainless lining. It frosts well and lasts; the mule in it tastes no different.

Specifications

Material
Copper outside; lined inside with stainless steel or nickel
Capacity
57cl in Urban Bar’s own Ginza cup; our guidance is 40cl or more
Details
A straight-sided or barrel-shaped mug with a riveted or welded handle, often hammered on the outside

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

Are copper mugs safe to drink from?

Lined ones are. Copper can pass into acidic drinks, and lime and ginger beer are acidic. The US FDA Food Code bars copper and copper alloys from contact with food below pH 6.0, such as fruit juice, so a mule sharpened with lime wants a mug lined with another metal. Check for a lining before buying.

Why are Moscow Mules served in copper mugs?

The Oxford Companion says one story, possibly apocryphal, has the Cock ’n Bull holding copper mugs already; VinePair reports that John Martin of Heublein took Polaroids of bartenders posing with a mug and a bottle of Smirnoff to sell the drink bar by bar. The mug stuck to the drink, though a highball does the same job.

Do copper mugs keep drinks colder?

They make a drink feel colder rather than keep it cold for longer. Copper conducts heat hundreds of times better than glass, so the mug takes on the cold of the ice almost at once and frosts. The same speed lets warmth from your hand in, so hold the handle.

How do you clean a copper mug?

By hand, in warm soapy water, then dry it straight away, since standing water marks copper. Avoid the dishwasher. Polish tarnish off the outside with a paste of lemon juice and salt, rinse, and dry; the lining needs only washing.

What size is a copper mug?

Our guidance is 40cl or more; Urban Bar’s own Ginza cup is 57cl. A Moscow Mule of 45ml vodka, 10ml lime and 120ml ginger beer comes to about 175ml, and the rest of the mug is cubed ice. Smaller mugs leave too little room for ice; larger ones are heavy once full.

Can I make a Moscow Mule without a copper mug?

Yes. A highball glass packed with cubed ice holds the same drink, and our Moscow Mule recipe gives it as the alternative. The copper changes how cold the drink feels in the hand and at the lip, not what is in it.

What is the lining in a copper mug?

A thin layer of stainless steel or nickel inside the mug and over the lip, so the drink never touches copper. Stainless steel is the safer choice for anyone with a nickel allergy. Look for the lining in the maker's description before you buy.

Can you put a hot drink in a copper mug?

It is not a good idea. Copper passes heat straight to the handle and the rim, so a hot drink makes the mug uncomfortable to hold and to drink from. Use a heatproof glass mug for a toddy or hot punch.

Sources.

Checked between 18 October and 20 October 2026.

US Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Food Code 2022, section 4-101.14 Copper, Use Limitation” (“copper and copper alloys such as brass may not be used in contact with a FOOD that has a pH below 6 such as vinegar, fruit JUICE, or wine”).
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Paul Clarke), “The Moscow Mule” (secondary source: purportedly 1941 at the Cock ’n Bull, Los Angeles; Martin and Morgan; a competing New York history; Wes Price’s claim; the copper-mug story possibly apocryphal).
Urban Bar, “Black Ginza Cup 57cl” (reference maker’s own copper cup; the Moscow Mule mug it sells is Cocktail Kingdom’s and is not cited).
Jerry Can Spirits shop, “Crystal ICE Hiball, 42cl”.
VinePair, “The Moscow Mule Recipe (Osalene Schmitt)” (named-author trade press: three accounts of the drink’s start, the New York Herald Tribune of 1948 naming Rudolph Kunett, the Moscow Copper Co. story, and Martin’s Polaroids).