Words by Simon Difford
Photography by Dan Malpass
If there is a spice most identified with autumn and winter, it's ginger. As warming as it is flavoursome, it's also a spice commonly used in cocktails – from classics such as a Moscow Mule to contemporary recipes such as the Penicillin.
Ginger syrup can be used to add a hint of spice to cocktails, and this can be as simple as making a Ginger Daiquiri by using ginger syrup instead of sugar syrup. The 20 cocktails below illustrate its versatility.
Achieve Highball
With: Dry gin, triple sec, ginger syrup, aromatic bitters, and soda water.
We say: Ginger spice enlivens this citrus and gin highball.
Avenue San Martin
With: Pisco, amaro, honey, lime juice, and ginger syrup.
We say: Bittersweet and tangy. A cocktail to enjoy as an apéritif with nibbles.
Barbacoa
With: Lime, red bell pepper, jalapeño, mezcal, ginger syrup, agave syrup, and lemon juice.
We say: Savoury and lightly spicy with smoky mezcal backbone.
Cablegram
With: Rye whiskey, ginger syrup, lime juice, and soda water.
We say: Whiskey and ginger with a fresh zing of lime.
Chinese Whisper
With: Root ginger, citrus vodka, lychee liqueur, lime juice, and ginger syrup.
We say: There's more than a whisper of ginger in this spicy cocktail.
Clan MacLeod
With: Peated whisky, lemon juice,, orange curaçao, ginger syrup, and lemonade.
We say: A peaty Whisky Collins with orange and ginger.
Concrete Slippers
With: Calvados, chili liqueur, cherry brandy, lemon juice, ginger syrup, sugar syrup, aromatic bitters.
We say: A spicy long drink to bury yourself in.
Ginger Cosmo
With: Vodka, ginger liqueur, ginger syrup, cranberry juice, lime juice, and ginger bitters.
We say: Just what it says on the tin, a classic Cosmopolitan but with ginger vitality.
Golden Spritz
With: Dry gin, fino sherry, apple juice, ginger syrup, and sparkling wine.
We say: Gin-based with rich ginger balanced by dry sherry, lengthened by apple and invigorated with fizz.
Honey Badger
With: Fresh rosemary, bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse, ginger syrup, honey syrup, lemon juice, and lemon bitters.
We say: If you like the Penicillin Cocktail, then you'll also like this rosemary and Chartreuse-influenced riff.
Humble Pie
With: Calvados, scotch whisky, ginger syrup, pimento dram, aromatic bitters, and black pepper.
We say: Apple brandy and scotch whisky with ginger, pimento dram and black pepper spice.
Medicina Latina
With: Blanco tequila, lime juice, ginger syrup, honey syrup, and mezcal.
We say: A ginger spiced and honeyed Tequila Sour.
Mezcalero
With: Triple sec, mezcal, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and grapefruit bitters.
We say: Lightly smoky mezcal with ginger spice and zesty citrus.
Mountain Man Cocktail
With: Bourbon, crème de pêche, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger syrup, and egg white.
We say: A peachy Whiskey Sour with a mild ginger kick.
Pirate Queen
With: Fresh strawberry, aged rum, genever, lemon juice, sugar syrup, honey syrup, ginger syrup, cinnamon syrup, and Creole bitters.
We say:
Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew
With: Dry gin, lemon juice, ginger syrup, and ale.
We say: A gin-laced shandy with a ginger kick.
Stone Wheel
With: Reposado tequila, Green Chartreuse, vanilla syrup, ginger syrup, lime juice and dry cider.
We say: Herbal tequila, refreshing lime and mild ginger heat mellowed with creamy vanilla..
The Continental Exchange
With: Cognac, umeshu, apple juice, lemon juice, ginger syrup, and honey.
We say: Long and refreshing with subtle flavours of apple, lemon, ginger and plum wine.
The Saint
With: Bourbon, aromatised wine, pink grapefruit juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and ginger syrup.
We say: A riff on the classic Brown Derby with zesty citrus and subtle warming earthy ginger.
When The Smoke Cleared
With: Mezcal, bitter aperitivo liqueur, ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, and saline solution.
We say: Smoky, tangy and complex with layers of flavour, although happily mezcal dominates.
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