The Copper Mug Used For Moscow Mules Might Be Deadly But Nobody Is Going To Stop Ordering Them

WaPo- The Moscow mule — that Instagram-ready cocktail that has surged in popularity in recent years — has only a few ingredients: vodka, ginger beer, lime and ice. But perhaps the most crucial component of the drink is the copper mug in which it’s almost always served, beverage aficionados say. Now, public health officials are warning that those mugs could be poisoning you. An advisory bulletin from Iowa’s Alcoholic Beverages Division notes that, in keeping with Food and Drug Administration guidelines, copper should not come into contact with acidic foods with a pH below 6. That includes vinegar, fruit juice, wine and, yes, a traditional Moscow mule, whose pH is “well below 6.0.” the bulletin says. “When copper and copper alloy surfaces contact acidic foods, copper may be leached into the food,” the division notes.

Symptoms of copper poisoning include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and jaundice, according to the National Institutes of Health. “Sudden (acute) copper poisoning is rare,” NIH says. “However, serious health problems from long-term exposure to copper can occur. Severe poisoning can cause liver failure and death.”

Mark my words for the second time today. This will do nothing to the sales of Moscow Mules. If anything, it’ll increase the sales of them because now more people know about them. A while ago I tweeted that part of the reason I order Eggs Benedict while out to breakfast with friends is because it always gets at least one “Oh great choice” response from someone at the table. Well the same social rule applies to Moscow Mules in 2017. Moscow Mules are the Eggs Benedict of drinking. Next time you’re at the bar with friends order Moscow Mule and wait for the compliments to roll in. No drink is hotter in the streets than Mules. Which is why the threat of death will have zero impact on the number of people who order them. People would much rather run the risk of dying than give up the “Oh great choice” comments from friends and strangers at the bar. Not to mention Moscow Mules are delicious but that’s not remotely the reason people order them.

My friend and co-worker John Feitelberg also brought up a very good point