9 Best Cocktails with Ginger Beer (Beyond the Moscow Mule)
Recipes · 2026-08-11 · 9 min read · by Jake
Ginger beer is one of the most useful cocktail mixers you can keep in your fridge. It's got carbonation, sweetness, and that spicy ginger kick that plays well with basically every spirit. If you've only ever used it for Moscow Mules, you're missing out on a dozen other great drinks.
Quick clarification: ginger beer is not the same as ginger ale. Ginger ale (like Canada Dry) is mild, sweet, and barely gingery. Ginger beer is bold, spicy, and has real ginger bite. For cocktails, you want ginger beer. Fever-Tree, Bundaberg, and Q Ginger Beer are all solid options.
Moscow Mule
The classic. Two ounces vodka, half an ounce fresh lime juice, fill with ginger beer. Serve in a copper mug if you have one (the metal keeps it extra cold), but any glass works. Lime wedge garnish.
The Moscow Mule was literally invented as a marketing campaign to sell vodka and ginger beer in the 1940s. It worked — it's been one of America's most popular cocktails for 80 years.
Dark 'n' Stormy
The rum version of a Mule. Two ounces dark rum, half an ounce lime juice, fill with ginger beer. The dark rum floats on top of the lighter ginger beer, creating that stormy layered look.
Technically trademarked by Gosling's, but any dark rum works. Try it with Smith & Cross for extra funk, or Diplomatico for something smoother and sweeter.
Kentucky Mule
Bourbon and ginger beer is a match made in heaven. The caramel sweetness of bourbon against the spicy ginger creates this warm, autumnal version of the Mule that works year-round.
Two ounces bourbon, half an ounce fresh lime juice, fill with ginger beer. Build over ice in a rocks glass or copper mug. Some people add a dash of Angostura bitters, which adds complexity.
Mexican Mule
Tequila and ginger beer with lime — it's a Mule with a south-of-the-border twist. The agave notes in tequila complement ginger beautifully, and a pinch of salt ties everything together.
Two ounces blanco tequila, half an ounce fresh lime juice, pinch of salt, fill with ginger beer. Lime wheel garnish. Try adding a few slices of jalapeno for a spicy Mexican Mule.
Gin-Gin Mule
Created by Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club in New York. It's a Mule with gin and fresh mint — essentially a Moscow Mule crossed with a Mojito. One of the best modern cocktails.
Muddle 5-6 mint leaves with 3/4 oz simple syrup. Add 2 oz gin, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice. Shake with ice, strain into a highball glass with fresh ice, top with ginger beer. Mint sprig garnish.
Whiskey Ginger
The simplest drink on this list and one of the most satisfying. It's what bartenders order for themselves at the end of a shift — unpretentious, refreshing, and easy to drink.
Two ounces Irish whiskey (Jameson is the classic), fill with ginger beer, squeeze of lime. Build over ice. That's it. Sometimes the best drinks are the simplest ones.
Penicillin
The Penicillin uses honey-ginger syrup as its sweetener, and when topped with a splash of ginger beer instead of served straight, it becomes even more refreshing. This is my variation for summer.
Two ounces blended Scotch, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 3/4 oz honey-ginger syrup, shake and strain over ice, top with an ounce of ginger beer. Float a quarter ounce of Islay Scotch on top. The ginger beer amplifies the ginger in the syrup.
Ginger Beer Buying Guide
Fever-Tree is the safe bet — good ginger flavor, not too sweet, widely available. It's what most bars use. Bundaberg is sweeter and has a more candy-like ginger flavor — good for people who find Fever-Tree too spicy.
Q Ginger Beer is the spiciest mainstream option — real ginger burn that stands up to strong spirits. Reed's Extra Ginger is similar. For something premium, try Regatta or Barritt's.
Store-brand ginger beer is usually fine for Mules but lacks the complexity for drinks where ginger is the star. If you're making a Gin-Gin Mule or Penicillin, spring for the good stuff.