The newest libation from Dan Gordon.

What beverage tastes like an apple cake loaded with crystallized ginger?

The new WildMule by Dan Gordon of Gordon-Biersch beer fame.

A year and a half ago, the San Jose-based master brewmeister debuted his Wildcide hard apple cider, a hard cider made of just yeast, and the just-pressed juice from Oregon-grown Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples.

Now, he’s brought out a riff on that: WildMule, which takes his Wildcide and blends it with pure cane sugar syrup, lime juice, and Peruvian ginger juice. It’s his take on a Moscow Mule.

If you’re a ginger lover like I am, you will go crazy for this. I had a chance to try a sample recently. Like the cocktail version, WildMule is gently sweet yet still crisp tasting. There’s a fresh apple flavor to it, along with the real throaty burn of intense ginger. Gordon buys his Peruvian ginger from The Ginger People. And if you know the latter’s products, you know they take their ginger seriously.

A six-pack is $12.99, and available at Nob Hill, Save Mart, Lucky, and BevMo stores.

Unlike beer, it’s also gluten-free. It just might become your new favorite summertime sip.

Winner of the Food Gal Contest

In last week’s Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me why you most wanted to win a $50 gift card to Olla Cocina. The gift card can be used during Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week, which is underway and ends after July 16; or at a future date.

Congrats to:

Rachel, who wrote, “I love trying new restaurants, and Olla Cocina looks absolutely delicious! I’d be especially excited to try the empanadas, because I’ve just discovered that despite hating them my entire childhood, I absolutely adore anything with mushrooms these days. It would also be a special treat, seeing as my fiance and I are getting married three months from tomorrow, and he is back in school, so money is a bit tight. 🙂”

More: Dining at Dan Gordon’s restaurant in Palo Alto