This ginger beer mocktail recipe has all the taste of a traditional Moscow Mule but none of the alcohol!
A perfect complex flavor from spicy ginger beer mixed with fresh lime juice, sparkling water, and a sprig of mint. At just 35 calories with minimal added sugars, it's the perfect drink for any time of day.
If you’re looking for more mocktail recipes made with bubbly ginger beer, try a Sparkling Apple Crisp Mocktail. To learn more about the Sober Curious Movement or the Difference between a Cocktail and a Mocktail, dig into my educational posts.
When to Make a Ginger Beer Mocktail
This refreshing drink is the best mocktail to make if you (or your friends) love a traditional Moscow Mule but are looking to enjoy a non-alcoholic drink. It’s one of my favorite mocktail recipes because it is a perfect sipper – not too sweet with minimal added sugar, but plenty bubbly and packed with some of my favorite seasonal flavors.
It’s great for pregnant women or anyone cutting back on alcohol for health reasons. Serve it in a copper mug at your next party and impress all your guests! 😊
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
LOW CALORIE - most of the time, calories from beverages like alcoholic drinks are empty calories, meaning they don't provide nutrients. So swap that sugary cocktail for this mocktail with just 35 calories.
TASTE - If you love moscow mules, you will seriously not miss the alcohol in this delicious drink. It tastes like a refreshing lime and ginger spritz with a hint of zing (and Vitamin C!) from the fresh lime.
EASY - stir together a few ingredients and voila! You have a non-alcoholic drink to enjoy for a special occasion, during holiday season, or on a warm summer day.
KID-FRIENDLY - this ginger beer mocktail is so much fun that it's a perfect choice of drink the entire family can enjoy!
Ingredients for Ginger Beer Mocktail
*Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
A Moscow Mule cocktail uses simple ingredients - ginger beer, lime juice and vodka. Since this ginger mocktail is alcohol-free, we will replace the vodka but keep the ginger beer and lime juice and add some sparkling water or club soda! Don’t mistake the simplicity of this recipe for boring. Sometimes the most simple ingredient combinations are the perfect way to satisfy your taste buds!
Light or Zero Calorie Ginger Beer -
A perfectly spicy ginger beer is the main ingredient and can be the difference between a delicious mocktail version of a Moscow Mule and one that lacks in flavor. Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer is my favorite to use!
Regular ginger beer has quite a bit of added sugars. From what I’ve found, most have around 20 grams of added sugar in a 6.8 oz- 7.5 oz can. To cut back on added sugars, I suggest using a light ginger beer that is lower in sugar. Below are 3 great options to choose from for your Moscow Mule Mocktail! You can find these at most grocery stores, at a liquor store, or on Amazon. I included some links for you below if you want to purchase them from Amazon.
- Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer - what I love about Fever Tree is that they use 3 different kinds of ginger sourced from the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Cochin, India. This gives their ginger beer the perfect balance of bold spice and sweetness. They use no artificial sweeteners. Nutrition: 6.8 fl oz can has 35 calories and 9 grams of added sugar and the first 3 ingredients are carbonated spring water, sugar, and ginger root.
- Q Mixers Light Ginger Beer - this one is great for a Moscow Mule mocktail because it has a lime forward flavor. They add quinine to their ginger beer which is a bittering agent that is added to tonic type drinks and found naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. They use no artificial flavors or preservatives. Nutrition: 7.5 oz can has 40 calories and 10 grams of added sugar and the first 3 ingredients are carbonated water, organic agave, and erythritol.
- Reed's Zero Sugar Extra Ginger Beer - this one is perfect if you are looking to make a 0-5 calorie mocktail with no added sugar. It is sweetened with a blend of erythritol, stevia leaf extract, and monk fruit extract and contains pressed fresh ginger root. It has a slightly less bold flavor, but I still enjoy the taste and choose this one if I am trying to really eliminate added sugars as much as possible. Nutrition: 12 oz can has 0 calories and no added sugar and the first 3 ingredients are sparkling filtered water, sweetener blend (erythritol, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract) and pressed organic ginger root. It contains 14 grams of erythritol.
Depending on your health goals, you might be looking to decrease added sugars but are comfortable with having a small amount of sugar and want to avoid artificial sweeteners. If that’s the case, I suggest going with Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer.
Or you might be eliminating added sugar altogether and feel ok about having some artificial sweeteners to replace them. If that’s you, I suggest the Reed’s Zero Sugar Extra Ginger Beer.
Fresh Lime Juice
The key here is to use fresh-squeeze lime juice. Lime juice from a bottle just doesn’t taste the same and has added preservatives!
Sparkling Water or Club Soda
Both are zero calorie carbonated waters, but club soda typically has added minerals and tends to have sodium. I typically use sparkling water because it's something I keep in my fridge, but either will work! 🙂
Instructions
There are basically 2 ways you can make this mocktail depending on whether you have a cocktail shaker.
- If you have cocktail shaker: add ice to your shaker. Then add the ginger beer, fresh squeezed lime juice, and sparkling water or soda water. Shake well. Pour into a glass over ice. Garnish with a slice of lime and fresh mint.
- If you don't have a shaker: If you don't have a shaker or don't feel like pulling it out and creating another dish to wash, just pour the ginger beer, squeeze of lime juice, and sparkling water or soda water in a glass over ice and stir with a wooden spoon
Serve in either a copper mug or tall glass! Garnish with a slice of lime and fresh mint.
Hint: if you love mint, add some muddled fresh mint leaves!
The Copper Mug
Moscow mules are typically served in a copper mug with ice cubes. Copper insulates the drink and keeps it cool longer. And it’s fun glassware to serve your mocktail in if you are having company or want something special for yourself. You can find some great copper mugs here, but any glassware will do!
Substitutions and Variation on Ginger Beer Mocktail
- Soda Water - club soda isn’t the only substitute for sparkling water! You could also use soda water. I don’t suggest using tonic water because it has a more bitter taste and contains sugar.
- Double Ginger - want to take the ginger flavor up a notch? Infuse the ginger beer base with fresh ginger root!
- Pineapple Ginger Beer Mocktail - add 2 tablespoon or ¼ cup of pineapple juice for a fruity take on this ginger beer mocktail!
- Cranberry Ginger Beer Mocktail - add 2 tablespoon or ¼ cup of cranberry juice and garnish with fresh cranberries for the holidays!
- Citrus - love citrus drinks? A great mixture is to add 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoon fresh grapefruit juice and 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice!
- Apple Ginger Beer Mocktail - if you love a crisp apple juice taste, try an Apple Mocktail made with apple cider.
- Sweeter - if you like drinks on the sweeter side, a perfect way to sweeten this up is to add a tablespoon of either simple syrup, honey or maple syrup! You could also sub ginger beer for diet ginger ale.
- Alcoholic - to turn this mocktail into an alcoholic beverage, add 2 ounces of vodka.
Expert Tips
- Alter your mocktail according to your taste! If you love lime, add more lime juice. If you love ginger, add a bit more ginger beer or some fresh ginger. A good mocktail is all about customizing it based on what you like.
- Serve this moscow mule mocktail in a copper mug to keep it extra cold.
- Use fresh squeezed lime juice! Bottled lime juice doesn't taste as good.
FAQ
No, despite its name, most commercial ginger beer is either completely alcohol free or contains trace amounts of alcohol (0.5%). It is typically used as a mixer in cocktails and makes a perfect base for an alcohol-free mocktail, too!
No, ginger beer is fermented sugar and ginger while ginger ale is typically made by mixing ginger syrup with soda water or club soda. Ginger beer has a spicier and bolder flavor and ginger ale is sweeter.
Personally, I love the taste of the Fever Tree brand. They use 3 different gingers to make their ginger beer and the result is a delightfully balanced ginger flavor. Their Refreshingly Lite Ginger Beer is lower in added sugars than their regular ginger beer and the one used in this recipe.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Ginger Beer Mocktail with Lime (Moscow Mule Mocktail)
Equipment
- cocktail shaker optional
- Copper Mug optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup light ginger beer I use Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer for this recipe.
- ¼ cup sparkling water or soda water
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ice cubes
Optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint, muddled
Instructions
If you have a cocktail shaker
- Add ice to your shaker. Then add the ginger beer, fresh squeezed lime juice, and sparkling water or soda water. Shake well. Pour into a glass over ice.
If you don't have a cocktail shaker
- Pour the ginger beer, squeeze of lime juice, and sparkling water or soda water in a glass over ice and stir with a wooden spoon.
For Serving
- Serve in either a copper cup or tall glass and garnish with a slice of lime or fresh mint.
- Optional: add muddled fresh mint leaves!
Notes
- Alter your mocktail according to your taste! If you love lime, add more lime juice. If you love ginger, add a bit more ginger beer or some fresh ginger! A good mocktail is all about customizing it based on what you like!
- Serve this moscow mule mocktail in a copper mug to keep it extra cold.
- Use fresh squeezed lime juice! Bottled lime juice doesn't taste as good.
Nutrition
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