8 Best Liquors To Mix With Ginger Beer

Ginger beer, not to be confused with ginger ale, is a delightfully flavorful drink all by itself. However, it only gets tastier when you add some liquor to the equation. Whether you are privy to the joys of ginger beer cocktails yet or not, knowing the best spirits to mix it with will serve you well the next time you dust off your bartending skills. Thanks to ginger beer's powerful taste, you don't need to get fancy, either. Typically, ginger beer, the right spirit, and an optional touch of fresh lime juice are all you need to whip up an outstanding highball.

In addition to being a lover of all things ginger beer, including cocktails, I also have 10 years of bartending experience and another 10 years of serving under my belt. As a result, I know a thing or two about how ginger beer pairs with spirits of all kinds, and I'm ready to share the deets. Thankfully, it's hard to go wrong with such a fantastic mixer, but still, honing in on the absolute winners of the alcohol world is your best bet. Stick with me, and you'll be doing exactly that in no time at all.

Vodka's claim to fame is that it is incredibly versatile. It may not taste like much, but it's a bartender's best friend when it comes to making cocktails with endless appeal. It is also the perfect spirit to reach for when making countless classic and unique recipes. With this in mind, it's no surprise that vodka is one of the best liquors to mix with ginger beer. Is a Moscow mule ringing any bells? It's made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime ( the signature copper mug is optional), and it's tasty enough to turn some heads. Additionally, the recipe has been around since the early 1900s, and if that doesn't prove its deliciousness, I don't know what would. Many decades and still going strong is nothing to scoff at, after all.

Whether you are familiar with the Moscow mule — arguably the most popular ginger beer cocktail of all time — or not, vodka and ginger beer get along like the best of friends. For starters, the vodka blends into the background, leaving the ginger beer to be the star of the show. It still packs a boozy punch, obviously, but it doesn't mask the inherent tastiness of the favorite mixer. So, if you want to hone in on the ginger beer and maybe not even taste the booze in your drink, vodka is the way to go.

One of the most popular renditions of a Moscow mule swaps out the vodka for tequila. So, yeah, tequila also pairs well with ginger beer. If you've ever had the pleasure of trying a Mexican mule before, you know what I'm talking about. If not, the grassy, citrusy, and sometimes gaseous flavors found in tequila (there's a wide range, depending on the bottle) have what it takes to balance out the sharpness of spicier ginger beers while simultaneously creating new and exciting flavors for your palate. Seriously, the Mexican mule is a go-to order for me when I am not craving something specific, and it always hits the spot.

One of the best things about pairing ginger beer with tequila is that the mixer is potent enough to mask a low-quality spirit. Translation: You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on a bottle of tequila to make a mean cocktail with it. Hooray! If you want to stay more on the affordable side of things, I recommend Espolòn Blanco or Reposado. They are both affordable (the Blanco even more so), but they don't lack in quality. In fact, it's one of the best inexpensive tequilas on store shelves. El Jimador and Lunazul won't do you dirty, either. Whatever you do, though, steer clear of things like Jose Cuervo Gold and Pepe Lopez. Yes, ginger beer will cover up the awful taste of them, but you're likely to regret choosing them the next morning.

While not quite as popular as a classic Moscow mule, the dark and stormy cocktail also has a tried-and-true reputation for being super tasty. It shows no signs of losing favor in the bartending world, either. Made with ginger beer, dark rum, and fresh lime juice, it's essentially the same drink as a Moscow mule, but with a different spirit. As such, there's no denying dark rum and ginger beer make a wonderful pair. When you add the dark rum at the end, as is customary, it also creates a lovely layered effect, making it not only a tasty combination, but an eye-catching one as well. Nice.

Similar to dark rum, but with more of a kick, spiced rum also leads to a delicious drink when mixed with ginger beer. Since both elements have some zest to them, it amplifies the flavors found in both in delightful ways. As is the case with many cocktails, a little lime juice never hurts. Either way, spiced rum and a spicy ginger beer (my favorite type) lead to a mean cocktail where both elements shine cohesively — and that's the name of the game when creating balanced drinks.

Chances are good that there are many things you don't know about gin. For example, did you know it is just flavored vodka? Probably not. It's okay, though. We can't all be experts on the spirit. But starting today, you can go ahead and cross not knowing it makes a fantastic liquor to pair with ginger beer off the list. You don't have to stick with a classic juniper-forward style of the spirit, either. In fact, many different flavors are popping up in the world of gin, like citrus, cucumber, florals, and more, and they all blend into a ginger beer drink exceptionally well. So brush off that bottle of Hendrick's and get to mixing.

If you want to stick to the basics, the foghorn cocktail is where it's at. All you need is London dry gin, ginger beer, and fresh lime juice — yup, it's another play on the Moscow mule, and you know what? It's been around since the 1920s, too. Talk about staying power. Whether you are typically a gin drinker or not, adding it to ginger beer is an outstanding way to warm yourself up to the spirit. It also gives you a nice alternative to vodka when you want a touch more added flavor.

Our favorite brown liquors, i.e. whiskey and bourbon, are next up on our list of the best spirits to mix with ginger beer. And, oh man, do they hit the mark. Sweet, oaky, and layered with complex flavors, whiskey and bourbon bring far more to the table than something one-dimensional like vodka. The enhanced taste won't get lost amidst a potent mixer like ginger beer.

As is the case with ginger beer and the world of cocktails, there is another play on the Moscow mule when it comes to both whiskey and bourbon. Choose a bourbon, like Woodford Reserve or Buffalo Trace, to mix with ginger beer and a bit of fresh lime juice, and you get a Kentucky mule. Opt for an Irish whiskey like Jameson or Bushmills, and you wind up with an Irish mule. American and Canadian whiskeys also fit into the equation, but for my money, it'll be a Kentucky bourbon all day. There's something about the way the sweet oaky flavor profile brings out the brightness of ginger beer while simultaneously complementing the spiciness that keeps people coming back for more. I've even turned many people onto both bourbon and ginger beer with this simple cocktail, so even newbies will savor every drop.

Mezcal is somewhat of an acquired taste. However, if you're just looking to get into the agave-based spirit, mixing it with ginger beer is a great starting point. Actually, even if you're a seasoned mezcal pro, it still makes a phenomenal mixer. So, if you want to give the classic Mexican mule a smoky upgrade, it's the way to go.

While there are several types of mezcal, and the range of flavors found in the spirit is broad, its most recognizable trait is its inherent smokiness. It's something that results from cooking the agave used to produce it underground (at least in most cases). While the smoky element makes mezcal delicious enough to enjoy solo, it mixes into ginger beer like a dream. Unlike vodka, which easily gets overpowered by the soda, mezcal still stands out in a bold way. So if you want a ginger beer cocktail where the booze still stays front and center, mezcal has your back.

As of late, mezcal's popularity is on the rise, so it's popping up at more and more bars all the time. Even so, it isn't the kind of spirit you find everywhere, so don't be surprised if your average dive bar can't whip you up a mezcal and ginger beer cocktail. Still, when you find a place that does carry the humble spirit, or you are mixing up cocktails at home, I'd say there's no better liquor to mix with ginger beer.

For most people, Cognac is far from the first thing to come to mind when dreaming up what to mix with ginger beer. However, I'm here to tell you it makes a winning pair. All the proof you need, though, comes in the form of the French mule cocktail. It has all the usual suspects found in a Moscow mule — ginger beer, fresh lime juice, and liquor (in this case Cognac) — but it also gets a helping hand from the addition of Angostura bitters and a dash of simple syrup. The result is a light, refreshing, sweet cocktail that is both approachable and elevated.

Hailing from the region that gives it its name, Cognac brings fruity, floral, and spicy layers of flavor to anything it touches. It's typically enjoyed in a snifter or tulip-shaped glass all by itself, but adding it to ginger beer accentuates the spirit's inherent traits while simultaneously adding citrus and zesty ginger to the mix. In the end, you get a well-rounded drink with enough punch to bring you to the dark side. It is a brown liquor, after all. So, the next time you want to class up your ginger beer — the French are nothing if not posh, right? — reach for a bottle of Cognac, and you'll be all set.

When you are in the mood for something completely different from your average ginger beer highball, but don't want to round up a ton of extra ingredients (as so many mixologist-curated cocktails require), amaro is here for the win. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who crave a bitter drink, it may just be the absolute best liquor to mix with ginger beer.

It wasn't so long ago that amaro flew under the radar in the United States, so I was often met with questioning eyes when talking to people about the spirit during my time behind the bar. However, thanks to the growing popularity of Aperol spritzes, most people are familiar with one type by now. Each amaro is slightly different, but for the most part, they are made with various herbs, spices, flowers, roots, and citrus fruits. No matter what specific ingredients go into the amaro, though, you can expect a bitter taste to ensue. In fact, the word amaro translates to bitter, so it's a defining characteristic.

As for mixing ginger beer with amaro, you have plenty of options, like Ramazzotti, Cynar, Averna, Aperol, and more. Heck, even licorice-forward Fernet Branca will do the trick. Even so, if you want to stick to a more classic approach, the Italian buck cocktail is easy to create, and, yes, it's another play on the Moscow mule. It features ginger beer, fresh lime juice, Cynar, and Montenegro.