The Moscow Mule was a marketing masterstroke created to solve three business problems at once. In 1941, John Martin (who had recently bought the rights to Smirnoff Vodka) and Jack Morgan (owner of the Cock 'n' Bull tavern, which had a surplus of ginger beer) met in Los Angeles. At the time, Americans had little interest in vodka. They combined the two ingredients with lime and served it in copper mugs that a friend of Morgan's was struggling to sell. The copper mug became the drink's iconic signature because the metal conducts cold instantly, providing a freezing sensation to the lips. The 'Mule' name refers to the 'kick' of the ginger beer. This drink is largely credited with introducing vodka to the American palate.