Ask anyone what my favorite cocktail is and in 3…2…1 seconds if that person gets me even a little – they know that I absolutely adore a Moscow Mule. I am much more of a wine drinker in general, the older I get, the less I go for hard alcohol. The headaches you can get are brutal the nearer you get to 30, at least for me. But every once in a while a girl just needs a good drink.

In fact, it was Benjamin Franklin that once said “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.”

Moscow Mule is not a type of horse from Russia

A cocktail made with ginger beer, vodka and lime traditionally served in a copper mug, I only discovered it this past year when a bar I went to ran out of mojito ingredients (apparently mint is often in short supply). In Italy they like to add fresh ginger [awesome] and cucumber [I’ll roll with it]. The flavor is very fresh and not super alcoholic, an Italian friend once described it to as drinking a salad. Mojitos used to be my summer drink of choice but they tend to put way too much sugar so I moved to this less sweet, ginger ‘happy-land’ in a cocktail, and for now its my go-to drink at any cocktail bar. So where can you get one in Florence? That’s where this blog post comes in handy.

My list of top ‘Moscow Mule’ bars in Florence, Italy

• The Cocktail Bar {Vai delle Oche 15R} – this charming bar is located a stone’s throw from the Duomo Cathedral or what I like to refer to as ‘that big church that everyone keeps staring at’ . The interior feels like a place that Frank Sinatra might be sipping a whiskey in. Low-lighting and small tables, this place is charming and it knows it. They are still working on their menu but they serve cocktails with quality liquor which is something worth noting. When I walked in and ordered a Moscow Mule, I was impressed by the bartender asking me how I wanted it. With cucumbers and fresh ginger? Being the glutton I am, I wanted cucumbers, fresh ginger and whatever else he wanted to add. The result was a damn good drink that cost around 7 euros. High recommend this place!

• Caffe Florian, Via del Parione 28/r, 50123 Florence, Italy. One of those places that can seem almost ‘too fancy’ for a drink but the secret is, they make fabulous cocktails. Their 2014 summer drinks menu has a combination of cocktails that vary from traditional to innovative, plus you can get some snacks while you’re at it! Their moscow mule is served in a copper mug which earns them extra points in my book [featured image above]

• Rari bar: along the lungarno, Lungarno Francesco Ferrucci, 24 has recently undergone a major transformation and now you can sip an (awesome) Moscow Mule outside in a beautiful setting. 8 euros for a really fabulous cocktail!

• Bar argentina {Via della Mattonaia 67R} – near Piazza Beccaria. This place looks like a tiny little dive bar from the outside and that’s exactly what it is. You probably walked by this place a million times and never gave it a thought. But what’s great about Bar Argentina is that this is the kind of bar where you can have a whole lot of fun with your friends. I was there during a ’90’s trash’ Yelp Event in December and Dario, the owner/bartender made me one of the best Moscow Mules I have ever tasted complete with ginger-infused vodka. Yes you heard me, he let me try a shot of that {sorry mom} which makes me want to recreate that at casa di Georgette. If you can infuse olive-oil yourself, why not vodka? 

• Luci – {Viale Michelangelo 61} this cool panoramic bar was the ex-bologna club & piazzale del gusto. Now along with being a place where you can play tennis, the rooftop aperitivo bar is one of the best in the city with awesome moscow mules which you can sip while looking over the stars of Florence. A place more adapted for spring and summer, I was there in August and it might be worth calling to see when they open up for this year’s season. +393429723159.

• Volume {Piazza Santo Spirito 5R}. This trendy bar is in my neighborhood hence being the perfect place to stop by for my moscow mule after a day of work. It’s often too crowded and loud to hear anything inside at night so I get mine to go and loiter in the piazza talking to friends. They make a great cocktail even if their staff could be a little nicer ;-).

• La Drogheria Bar & Grill {Piazza Annigoni 22}. This place is actually a restaurant but you can also go there just for a drink and their moscow mule is a ginger masterpiece. This place has a gorgeous, cozy interior and great burgers, You feel a bit like you’re on a movie set of Mission Impossible or some sort of sexy crime-thriller. Great food to boot!

What else? 

I had to add these two places which I heard through the grapevine served great moscow mules which means I have a few more bars to try out :). It’s a hard life, I know. 

1. Yummy Yummy Via Baracca 1F – 50127 Firenze, Neighborhood: Novoli.

2. Tasso (this is a hostel but they also have a lively bar and events) – Via Villani 15, Piazza Tasso, 50123 Firenze – Neighborhood: Palazzo Pitti.

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If you, your friends, your mom’s friend, your dog, or your babysitter has had a fabulous Moscow Mule in Florence somewhere in town I have yet to discover, let me know, and I might just buy you one! 🙂