1. You can use your choice of vodka in this recipe, as long as it's good-quality. Plain is fine, but it's nice to amp up the fall flavors with an apple- and cinnamon-infused variety like the one pictured here, or cinnamon vodka.
2. Apple cider is a gently sweet, complex ingredient in its own right. I tend to grab whatever local, unfiltered cider I see in the shops in the fall. 
3. Ginger beer is a nonalcoholic, ginger-flavored soft drink. It provides fizz, lightness, and tons of flavor to a Moscow mule. Choose a good one, because you'll really taste it. I like Reed's or Goslings.
4. A generous dose of freshly squeezed lime juice adds a welcome bright, tart dimension to this recipe.
5. If you like, you can batch this cocktail for a party. To make eight drinks: up to three hours in advance, stir together in a pitcher two cups apple-cinnamon vodka, four cups fresh apple cider, and ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, pour in three cups cold ginger beer and give it all a stir. To serve, fill eight copper mule cups with crushed ice, divide contents of pitcher, and garnish each with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.

How to crush ice

• If you don't have a good blender, you can place regular ice cubes into a double layer of zip-top bags and bash them with a rolling pin until they're nice and small. This method provides free therapy but doesn't work quite as well for creating evenly crushed ice.
• If you have a high-speed blender or a good, strong regular blender, you can place plenty of ice cubes into the container, pour in cold water to reach about halfway up, and blend briefly until most of the cubes are nicely crushed. Drain the mixture through a sieve to remove excess water, and your crushed ice is ready to use.