Ginger is a remarkable ingredient in the world of cocktails. Its aromatic and spicy profile can transform any drink into something extraordinary. With its zesty, spicy, and exotic profile, ginger adds a unique flavor that can elevate your cocktail experience. In this article, we will explore 8 of the Best Ginger Cocktails that are sure to spice up your home bartending game.
Each recipe features Liber & Co.'s fantastic Fiery Ginger Syrup, made from organic Peruvian ginger juice, which adds an earthy burn to each of these trendy cocktails. Let's dive into these delicious concoctions!
➑Backsliding Presbyterian
The Backsliding Presbyterian is a cocktail that is as fun to say as it is to drink. This highball features a delightful mix of ginger, bourbon, and a hint of Campari for complexity. A perfect starting point for our list, this drink will have your friends asking for more!
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey
- ½ oz Campari
- 1 oz lime juice
- club soda
Instructions:
- Shake all but soda with ice for 5 seconds
- Strain into a highball glass filled with ice
- Top with soda and garnish
➐ EL DIABLO
El Diablo is another highball that combines the spiciness of ginger with the earthiness of tequila and the fruit-forward sweetness of cassis. This classic cocktail is perfect for those who enjoy a balanced and refreshing flavor profile.
This classic tequila-based cocktail first appeared in print in 1946. It pairs fruit-forward cassis and a gentle ginger spice with blanco tequila for a combination that's perfectly quenching and satisfying! Our Fiery Ginger Syrup provides the spicy kick required for this delicious cocktail.
Ingredients
- ½ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- 1 ½ oz blanco tequila
- ½ oz cassis
- ¾ oz lime juice
- club soda
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a Collins glass with ice
- Stir to combine and chill while topping with club soda
➏ King Smash
The King Smash is a refreshing cocktail that combines ginger with mint and lemon juice, creating a whiskey-sour-inspired drink. This flavor combination is perfect for any season.
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 5-8 mint leaves
Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake for 10 seconds
- Double strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice
➎ GINGER PALOMA
The Ginger Paloma is a delightful twist on one of Mexico's favorite classic cocktails, the Paloma. The combination of grapefruit, blanco tequila, and Fiery Ginger Syrup make for a crave-able and easy-drinking highball.
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz Rio Red Grapefruit Cordial
- 1½ oz tequila
- ½ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- 3 oz soda water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add syrups and tequila to a highball glass filled with ice
- Top with soda water and stir
➍ Dark 'n' Stormy
The Dark 'n' Stormy is essentially a Moscow Mule variation, but it packs in more flavor by featuring a dark rum instead of vodka. This spectacular cocktail is a favorite in the Caribbean, and features ginger, lime juice, and dark rum.
This highball cocktail's color resembles the sunset with a dark storm rolling in on the horizon. After a few of these, you might feel a bit stormy and cloudy-headed yourself.
➌ Passion and Fire
Our bronze medal winner for the best ginger cocktail is another Liber & Co. original: the Passion and Fire cocktail.
The Passion and Fire Cocktail is an excellent blend of earthy tequila with the vibrant tropical flavors of passion fruit and ginger. This alluring combination of bright Tropical Passionfruit and Fiery Ginger is the perfect match for blanco tequila's earthy and fruit-forward profile.
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz Tropical Passionfruit Syrup
- ½ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- 1 ½ oz tequila
- 1 oz lime juice
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake for 10 seconds
- Strain into a highball glass filled with ice
➋ Suffering Bastard
A classic cocktail, the Suffering Bastard has its origins in World War II-era Egypt when a bartender at the Shepherd Hotel was making cocktails for the poor suffering soldiers stationed abroad. This classic Tiki-style drink is unique because it combines a split base of gin, which is unusual on its own, and brandy, which, when mixed with gin, is even more unconventional. The results are extraordinary, and the Suffering Bastard is a cocktail that you should definitely add to your arsenal.
Ingredients:
- ½ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- ¼ oz Demerara Gum Syrup
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz brandy
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 1 dash aromatic bitters
- 3 oz club soda
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except soda to a cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake hard for 5 seconds
- Strain into a chilled highball glass filled with ice
- Top with club soda
➊ Penicillin
Our gold medal winner, the number one best ginger cocktail, is a modern classic from Sam Ross: the Penicillin.
This cocktail is sure to cure what ails you. Its combination of honey syrup, ginger, Scotch whiskey, and lemon juice come together to create a truly beautiful profile that will surely stand the test of time. The Penicillin has a strong case as the best ginger cocktail you can make. Even if you're not a fan of ginger or Scotch, try the Penicillin and tell us it's not one of the best cocktails you've ever had.
Ingredients:
- ½ oz Fiery Ginger Syrup
- 1 ½ oz blended scotch whisky
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- ¼ oz honey syrup (2 parts honey : 1 part water)
- barspoon single malt scotch whisky
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all but single malt to a cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake for 10 seconds
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice
- Float single malt on finished drink
These Top 8 Ginger Cocktails showcase the exotic and unique versatility and flavor that ginger can bring to your drinks. Try these recipes at home and discover your new favorite cocktail. Let us know in the comments which one you enjoyed the most, and cheers to your next cocktail adventure!
Discover how we make them by watching this YouTube video.
