Drinks Cocktails Gin Cocktails Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew Be the first to rate & review! What's more refreshing than a chilled citrus and ginger cocktail? By Lucy Simon Lucy Simon Lucy Simon is a New York-based wine, spirits, and food writer has been with Food & Wine since the spring of 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 22, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Total Time: 15 mins When I first saw this drink listed on the menu at Hawksmoor in New York City, I wasn’t expecting all too much. The flavors of ginger, gin, and lemon felt fairly familiar, I ordered it at lunchtime so it felt like a good mid-day tipple, and anything named ginger brew sounds like it's going to make me feel better after I drink it. To my surprise, however, this cocktail went above and beyond — it’s balanced, delicious, and evolves as you sip it, plus, it goes great with food. I was left speechless after taking a first sip and knew that without a doubt, this would not be my last foray with the drink in question. The Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew is a semi-frozen, sweet, sour, and slightly spicy ginger drink that is topped with beer and served in an ice-cold mug. This cocktail is just one of many standouts on Hawksmoor's ambitious cocktail menu (try their Sour Cherry Negroni if that’s more your jam). “Since day one at Hawksmoor, 17 years ago, cocktails have been a huge part of what we do,” says Adam Montgomerie, bar manager at Hawksmoor’s New York location. This ginger and lemon cocktail preceeds Montgomerie’s time with Hawksmoor NYC and even the location itself. “It's been on our Hawksmoor UK menu for years,” says Montgomerie. “There was a Hawksmoor bartender named Pete who developed the recipe for a Beefeater gin cocktail competition years ago.” Like many performing at a cocktail competition, Pete’s hands shook uncontrollably as he made the drink, giving the cocktail its memorable name. Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew has been a total hit since its inception. “I’ve been at Hawksmoor for eight years, and it’s been the bestselling drink on our Hawksmoor UK menus the whole time,” says Montgomerie. The recipe has even been adapted by other UK-based bars and restaurants, quickly making it a modern classic. “When we were adapting the cocktail menu for Hawksmoor NYC there was no way we weren’t going to bring the drink here, " he says. “Oh, and it’s also the most incredible hangover cure. If you ever need one, this is the one to have.” Ingredients Ginger Syrup 1 lb fresh ginger Superfine sugar (as needed) Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew 1 ounce gin 1 1/2 ounces ginger syrup 1 1/2 ounces lemon juice 4 large ice cubes 1 can or bottle London Pride ale Directions Make ginger syrup Roughly peel 1 pound of fresh ginger. Juice using a centrifugal juicer. Measure the amount of juice produced, and add twice that amount of superfine sugar. In a small bowl, stir sugar into ginger juice until the sugar is completely dissolved to make ginger syrup. Bottle and store in the fridge for up to one week. Make Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew Add the gin, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and ice cubes to a blender and blend on high speed for about 20 seconds. Pour into a chilled beer tankard and top with the London Pride. Rate It Print