Ginger, Gin, and Beer Cocktail

Bright and crisp notes dance about with every sip of this cheery cocktail. Made with vibrant flavors, no one will believe it’s a fun blend of gin and beer!

The first time I tried a cocktail with beer I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical. The recipe came from someone I trust, Emily, who never steers me wrong. This version is an interpretation of a recipe from Vitamix, another trusted source. This concoction is a delicious blend of a great gin and a flavorful beer along with fresh lemon juice and a delightful simple syrup infused with fresh ginger and mint.

For the gin, my “go to” is almost always Plymouth Gin, full of beautiful layers of juniper and citrus. For the beer I poured up a classic, Modelo Especial, with tones of citrus and herbs that compliment this cocktail perfectly.

And to get a jump on entertaining you can mix up the ginger and mint simple syrup in advance. Just refrigerate it until you’re ready to mix things up.

Then blend this fragrant syrup with a splash of gin along with the lemon juice and a handful of ice to get things frothy and chilled. Slide in a slice of lemon, pour the cocktail over a glass of ice and top with the cold ale.

Add a sprig of mint and get ready to make another batch – your guests will be asking for seconds!

Ginger, Gin, and Beer Cocktails

For the ginger infused simple syrup:

1 cup water

1-½ cup sugar

1-¼ cup chopped ginger

10 fresh mint leaves

To make the simple syrup:

Combine the water, sugar, chopped ginger and mint leaves in a small saucepan over low heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let the syrup simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat then remove and let it cool for about 30 minutes.

Strain the ginger and the mint from the syrup.

The simple syrup can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to mix up the cocktails. Makes about 1-¾ cups simple syrup.

Note: The easiest way to remove the skin of fresh ginger is with a spoon. Simply use the edge of the spoon to peel it away.

For the cocktails:

If you’re serving more than two people, this recipe can be easily doubled or tripled in your blender.

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1-½ to 2 lemons

⅓ cup ginger infused simple syrup

3 tablespoons good gin, such as Plymouth Gin

½ cup ice, plus extra for serving

⅓ cup beer

Lemon slices and mint sprigs for garnish

Pour the lemon juice, simple syrup, gin and ice into a blender. Process, starting on low for about 5 seconds to break up the ice then on high for an additional 15 seconds.

Fill two glasses with ice, sliding a slice of lemon along the side of the glass for garnish if desired.

Pour the gin mixture between the two glasses and top with the beer, splitting evenly between drinks, stirring to mix the spirits together.

Top with a sprig of fresh mint and serve!

Makes 2 cocktails.