Prickly Pear Cactus Moscow Mule (Vodka Cocktail)

With its gorgeous pink hue and refreshing fruit flavor, this Prickly Pear Moscow Mule is the perfect prickly pear vodka drink. A homemade simple syrup made from the cactus fruit, lime juice, and sugar is really easy to make and gives a colorful spin to the classic Moscow Mule.

My college bestie, Leann, makes a mean Moscow Mule, and I can always count on her making me one when I visit her. I was inspired by her classic version but wanted to add a unique twist with the addition of prickly pear. And, instead of serving the drinks in the traditional copper mugs, I opt for clear glasses to show off the beautiful pink color too.

Those who know me know that I love a good cocktail, so I happen to have a handful of delicious drink recipes you should check out. My Spicy Grapefruit Ranch Water is a favorite blending grapefruit juice, Topo Chico, and some Tajin. I love a good gin drink too, so my Halloween Cocktail (aka the Purple People Eater) is great year-round. If it's not Halloween, just leave off the googly eyeballs. For the perfect Christmas cocktail, you're going to love this cranberry martini. Finally a great appetizer to serve with this Moscow Mule is my recipe for Brie Baked in a Bread Bowl.

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

• prickly pears
• granulated sugar
• lime juice
• vodka
• ginger beer

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

1. First, start the prickly pear simple syrup: Combine the prickly pears and water in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the fruit falls apart.

2. Next, mash the fruit in the saucepan with a potato masher. Strain the mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer into a measuring cup.

3. Then, combine the liquid, sugar, and lime juice in the saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Let cool completely.

4. Finally, make the drink. Combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prickly pear syrup and vodka in a glass filled with ice cubes. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge or lime slices and edible flowers, if desired.

Substitutions

Here are some ingredient swap options in case you need to make some adjustments:

• Prickly pear syrup - if prickly pears are not in season, you can buy prickly pear syrup online or at your local liquor store.
• Lime juice - use fresh lemon juice instead of lime juice if you prefer.
• Vodka - traditional Moscow Mules have vodka, but if vodka's not your thing substitute gin or tequila instead.
• Ginger beer - ginger beer is available in several varieties, from mild to strong. Choose whichever one suits your tastebuds. You can also use ginger ale if you prefer.
• Copper cups - traditional Moscow Mules are served in copper cups, but I wanted to show off the gorgeous pink color. Feel free to serve this cocktail in your favorite glass. A rocks glass, margarita glass, martini glass, or tall glass like a collins glass is great.

Variations

Looking for other ways to change up this recipe? Here are some ideas:

• Spicy - add a sliced jalapeño to the prickly pear syrup to give this cocktail some heat.
• Non-alcoholic - omit the vodka to make this a mocktail.
• Lower calorie - instead of ginger beer, opt for sparkling water or club soda (soda water) to make this a skinny cocktail.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

• chef's knife
• liquid measuring cup
• dry measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• medium saucepan
• fine wire-mesh strainer
• potato masher

Storage

Store the ingredients separately. Refrigerate any leftover prickly pear syrup in a jar for up to 1 month.

These ingredients don't freeze well.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.