Let’s bring a summer twist to your traditional Kentucky mule! With a double dose of fruit, spicy ginger kick and bubbly finish, this cherry-orange Kentucky mule is bursting with fresh, seasonal flavor in every sip.

A cherry-orange Kentucky mule on burlap with cherries and orange slices around it.

When patio season hits, mules are always one of my favorite go-to entertaining cocktails. Whether it’s my cherry-orange Kentucky mule, strawberry-mint Moscow mule or grapefruit gin mule, these gingery cocktails suit just about everyone’s taste.

You can skip the fruit or use your favorite variety, and all sorts of fresh herbs make a lovely flavor addition. Mint, rosemary, thyme, cilantro and sage are all tasty options.

And how fun is that copper mug? So fun!

Plus, mules couldn’t be easier to make, and they require hardly any prep time. See? There isn’t a more perfect cocktail for entertaining.

While I love all kinds of mules, I’m especially excited to bring you this fruity Kentucky mule because it offers the option to use my beloved cherry-infused bourbon. Of course, I realize you may not have cherry-infused bourbon on hand. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on this mule, so I also included directions to still get that cherry flavor without the infusion.

That said, I hope you eventually make my cherry-infused bourbon, which is not only delicious in this cocktail but also my cherry bourbon smash and bourbon cherry limeade. In the meantime, I have no doubt you’ll love my alternative mixology method. Now let’s get to it.

A cherry-orange Kentucky mule with a sprig of mint on burlap.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To prepare this delicious cherry-orange Kentucky mule, we start by cutting the bottom of an orange. This allows the orange to safely sit up without rolling around. We then cut off a piece of the orange peel by moving a paring knife downward. Although we won’t use the peel until the very end, I like to have it ready to go.

From here, we take out our trusty cocktail shaker and pour freshly squeezed orange juice with a few mint leaves and start muddling. If you don’t have cherry-infused bourbon, add a handful of pitted and stemmed cherries as well. Now we add our bourbon and shake it all up with a handful of ice, strain into copper mugs and top with the ginger beer.

For the perfect finishing touch, we take the orange peel and twist it over our drink. This releases those aromatic orange oils for an extra citrusy boost. I also like to take a mint sprig, place it in one hand and quickly clap the other hand on top. Like twisting the peel, this releases the mint’s fragrance.

Now sit back, sip and enjoy this tasty cocktail in hand. Life is good, huh?

Two cherry-orange Kentucky mules with mint, cherries and orange slices.

Do I Need Copper Mugs for Mule Cocktails?

I adore the special touch of serving Moscow mules in a traditional copper mug. For those hot summer days, the copper insulates our cherry-orange Kentucky mule for the utmost refreshing sipper. In fact, on particularly hot days, I'm even known to drink other cocktails out of my copper mugs for the extra coolness factor.

However, you can certainly serve these mules in a simple old fashioned glass if you don’t have copper mugs on hand. Copper mules are fun, but they're certainly not required for this cherry Kentucky mule.

An aerial view of the Kentucky mule with cherry, orange and mint garnishes.

Perfect Pairing

I love a good Asian-inspired dish with mules. That spicy ginger kick makes for a perfect match. Think Korean-inspired tacos.

For the perfect summer entertaining cocktail, I hope you try this cherry-orange Kentucky mule. Please let me know how you enjoyed this recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

A close-up of a mule with a sprig of mint framing it in front.

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