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5 Cocktail-Inspired Beers From Craft Brewers

Pat Evans
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Craft beer is hot. Cocktails are hot. Why not put the two together?

It’s not unusual for breweries to experiment with taste (never mind that we just wrote about beers going back to “beer flavor”). With so many possible flavors and so many craft projects trying to put out a unique brew, it only makes sense that some have turned to the cocktail world for inspiration. Perennial Artisan Ales produced a whole series of beers based on cocktails and Brooklyn Brewery made the superb Improved Old Fashioned. At the 2018 Craft Brewers Conference, a speaker addressed the idea of cocktail brews to help draw in new customers.

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Here are some of the best cocktail-inspired beers that evoke those mixed-drink nuances.

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Ballast Point Moscow Mule

Moscow Mule

Ballast Point Moscow Mule Beer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Few cocktails are as refreshing as a Moscow Mule and there’s nothing like a cold beer on a hot day — what if you could have both? The kettle-soured base of this beer provides a little zip while the lime zest and ginger resemble a Moscow Mule. Pour it into a copper mug with crushed ice and many would be fooled.

Boulevard Sazerac X Rye-on-Rye

Sazerac

Boulevard Sazerac X Rye-on-Rye
Boulevard Brewing Company/Facebook

Rye-on-Rye is just one of the many exquisite beers Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Co. makes and sometimes the brewery adds in a  twist on the beer for an even more special release. Rye-on-Rye X Sazerac is a take on the famous New Orleans cocktail. Boulevard threw in spice and lemon peel to mimic bitters and aged the brew in Templeton Rye barrels.

Flying Dog Mimosa Beer

Mimosa

Flying Dog Mimosa Beer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although Flying Dog has a history of cocktail-inspired brews, like the Mint Julep Ale, let’s leave spirit influence behind for a second and look at the classic brunch beverage: the mimosa. Flying Dog makes this beer with a Champagne yeast to give it some sparkle, as well as orange peel and citrusy Citra hops.

Anderson Valley G&T Gose

Gin and Tonic

anderson valley brewing company g and t gose
Anderson Valley Brewing Company/Facebook

Anderson Valley helped mainstream gose, the slightly tart, but ultra refreshing beer style. The California brewery also has thrown in some variations on gose, like the Briney Melon, Blood Orange, and Framboise Rose. For the G&T, Anderson Valley added lemon peel, juniper, lemongrass, and grains of paradise, replicating that gin-and-tonic-like freshness of summer.

Short’s Bloody Beer

Bloody Mary

shorts brewing bloody beer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Michigan’s Shorts Brewing is no stranger to making bizarre experimental beers. Micheladas are common, but this brewery set out to craft something more like a Bloody Mary in brew form. A double golden beer fermented with tomato puree, horseradish, black peppercorns, dill, and celery seed, this beer has all the fixings (except maybe the bacon).

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Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
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The fact that beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage isn’t that remarkable. What’s more impressive is how exceptionally vibrant beer culture has remained across different eras, with locals giving it documented props and shout-outs as far back as the 11th century. Lithuania is the eastern European nation most famous for amber Baltic shores, Charles Bronson, and its own scent. Beer, however, should probably join that list.
Instead of copying the numerous varieties developed by neighboring countries — Czech Pilsners, German Lagers, Belgian Krieks, etc. — Lithuanians source ingredients locally and produce their own unique genre. Earthy and yeast-driven, the most distinctive beer, dubbed kaimiskas, is most comparable to a farmhouse ale.
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Much of the brewing activity takes place in the northern reaches of the country. The beers are made from distinctive strains of yeast, alongside a smattering of hops and often unboiled wort -- something of a rarity. The result is beer that’s decidedly rustic and beaming with Lithuanian terroir.
This is the kind of Old World beer brewed for and by farmers, at least initially. It survived wars, revolutions, ebbs and flows in the economy, and nationhood. It has remained mostly on the back burner but, at least within Lithuania, is a great source of pride and something that’s passed down from generation to generation. Villages always had, and still do to some extent have, brewers. And the good beer was treated like any great feat from a true craftsman, with respect and adulation. To drink one of these beers is to pay tribute to something much bigger and engrained than you might originally think. And, who knows, perhaps with a little nudge, Lithuanian Kaimiskas can at least be the next White IPA.
Lately, the Lithuanian craft beer scene has struggled against alcohol advertising bans and beer curfews. It’s a strange reality in a country that has been more or less supportive of the stuff for a thousand years. The capital city of Vilnius, especially, is known for going against the grain, producing micro-focused bottle shops and maintaining a general reverence toward the more creative local brews.
There are some options for getting the stuff here in the states and, earlier this year, one of the country’s famed yeast strains landed stateside. It never hurts to pester your favorite bottle shop, urging them to bring some of these wildly unique beer options to your neighborhood. Neighbors like Poland get more of the tourist limelight but next time you’re considering eastern Europe — in actuality or by the power of the internet or your most diverse bottle shop — consider Lithuania and its signature beer.
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