Ginger Beer Cocktails

Bourbon, rosemary and lots of fresh ginger transform a summery Moscow Mule into a perfect winter cocktail. If you prefer vodka, feel free to swap it in for the bourbon.

This riff on a Dark and Stormy is from Sean Kenyon, the owner and barkeep of Williams & Graham in Denver. "With a hurricane of spices in the rum as well as ginger and Angostura bitters, it may seem too much," he says, "but the peaches tie it all together."

These super-easy drinks are made with Hoegaarden, ginger beer, mint and lemon.

This downtown Portland cocktail lounge, which is popular with students from the nearby Maine College of Art, features local art, DJs and live bands.

This classy, Cognac-based drink is sweet and gingery.

Based on the Moscow Mule, a 1940s drink developed to promote Smirnoff vodka, Loa's Cheval uses muddled cucumber.

This bourbon based party punch will please any thirsty crowd.

Bubbly drinks in all their forms, from sparkling wine to fizzy ginger beer, inspire an effervescent bubble party. Pair them with a cool Vietnamese-style noodle salad tossed in a bright (and fat-free) citrus dressing.

Eric Ripert's sweet, fizzy drink, made with orange juice, passion fruit and mango sorbet, is his Brazilian take on a typical American root beer float.