HELENA, Mont. — The popular cocktail known as the Moscow mule supposedly gets some of its flavor from the frosty copper mug it’s served in — the shiny metal oxidizes slightly and enhances the drink’s aroma and effervescence.
Flavor, however, is not the only thing the copper cup imparts. A study published in the January/February issue of the Journal of Environmental Health found that copper leaches into the drink made of ginger beer, lime juice, and vodka. In a little under half an hour, the copper levels rise higher than the safety standard set for drinking water.
A drink or two is not toxic, said one of the study’s authors, Carroll College associate chemistry professor Caroline Pharr. “Acute copper toxicity is very unlikely,” she said. “For that, you would need to drink 30 Moscow mules in a 24-hour period.”
