Have you ever wanted a cocktail that wasn’t a cocktail, but taste like one? Wait what? Ballast Point recently introduced their first nationally distributed cocktail-inspired beer. If you’ve had a Moscow Mule before you can almost imagine what this beer is like. And almost like a cocktail, the beer comes in at a strong 10% ABV. Not quite a cocktail, but just as good and refreshing. The tart ale is loaded with lime zest and ginger to compliment the kettle-soured based beer.

said James Murray, vice president of brewing at Ballast Point.

The release of Moscow Mule Ale further proves their commitment to R&D brewing, allowing for new, quality beers to hit the market. The brewery currently makes over 100 unique R&D recipes a year, each with innovation and quality in mind.

“The brewers at our Little Italy R&D brewery developed the Moscow Mule Ale after testing out a number of other cocktail-inspired brews like the Old Fashioned and Irish Coffee,” said Aaron Justus, Director of R&D/Specialty Brewing. “The Moscow Mule Ale was a runaway favorite among the team and our tasting room customers, making it an easy decision to share it with the rest of the country.”

Many people like to enjoy their beer in various ways. If you’re trying something new, maybe you grab a pack and crack one open by yourself first. Then if it’s good, you share it with friends. Me however, I like to collectively try new beers. So this weekend I tried Moscow Mule Ale with a few friends. It made for the perfect beer on a Saturday evening before we called an Uber to the bar. And why not, you can just pick up where you left off and order a Moscow Mule.

So does it really taste like a Moscow Mule? It certainly does. In my opinion probably better. I like a carbonated Moscow Mule as opposed to something flat and smooth. This is just that. It’s bitter from the lime zest, it’s crisp, and it has a kick from the ginger. While the beer holds it own, the beer isn’t completely overtaken by the concept of a Moscow Mule. Yes, elements of a Moscow Mule are embedded throughout, but balance out as it’s own sour beer. It pours a light copper color and carries zesty, ginger notes from the head to the nose.

Moscow Mule Ale is a spring/summer limited release under Ballast Point’s Explorer series and is now rolling out nationwide in both draft and 12 oz. bottles through July.