The Moscow Mule—a mix of vodka, ginger beer, and lime—was created in 1941 as a marketing ploy to save three struggling businesses. Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock 'n' Bull tavern, had a surplus of ginger beer; John Martin, owner of Heublein, had recently bought the Smirnoff distillery and couldn't get Americans to drink vodka; and Sophie Berezinski had 2,000 copper mugs she had brought from Russia that she couldn't sell. They combined their problems to create a new drink. The copper mug became the drink's signature because copper is an excellent conductor; it instantly takes on the cold temperature of the liquid and ice, providing a chilling sensation on the lips that enhances the experience of the spicy ginger beer.