Put Down That Moscow Mule – Check Your Mug!
My nephew Anthony introduced me and my sisters to Moscow Mules about four years ago at Christmastime (don't worry, he was 21 at the time). We'd never tried them before and they were fabulous!
A icy cold beverage in a fancy, frosty, copper mug - delicious! Anthony made them with ginger beer, lime juice and vodka. Ever since that time I have continued to concoct my version of them for special occasions (like a Friday night after a long week).
My only change to the basic recipe is using ginger ale instead of ginger beer. I really like it better than the original recipe, but don't tell my nephew, he's kind of a purist.
But recently I came across an article on the Today Show website about the possibility of Moscow Mule copper mugs poisoning people!
Apparently the Food and Drug Administration has a rule about copper coming into direct contact with foods below a certain pH level, including fruit juice (read that - lime juice). It can cause a chemical reaction which is not good for you (for example, the mug in the above photo-bad!).
But they also say that if your copper mugs are lined with another metal like stainless steel (as mine are, thank goodness!) feel free to unabashedly enjoy your Mules!
Okay, I made that part up. Enjoy your Moscow Mules responsibly. They didn't really say that either, I just thought they'd want me to.
Source: Today
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