PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKWORTH GINGER BEER BREWERY AND MAGGIE’S FARM RUM

Halloween has just passed, and we find ourselves deep into the festive season. However, I’m not quite ready to part ways with the charm of fall. It hardly felt like a proper fall! The weather remains warm at 70 degrees and sunny.

To help ease my transition from the cozy vibes of autumn to the cheerful celebrations of the upcoming holidays, I crave something festive and spirited. Ideally, it should involve skeletons and perhaps a delightfully unique twist. Thankfully, Maggie’s Farm Rum and Jackworth Ginger Beer Brewery have collaborated to create just the thing.

The Fireside Mule is a sparkling concoction combining the flavors of baking spice-infused rum, organic ginger, lime, and cane sugar. This ready-to-drink cocktail offers a merry lift with a refreshing kick, boasting an alcohol by volume of 8%. As an added touch, the can’s label showcases the artwork of Miller McCormick, depicting Special Agent Dana Skully, the whimsical skeletal mascot of Maggie’s Farm Rum, enjoying a cozy moment by the fire.

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A warm and cozy image comes to mind as I think about Jackworth co-founder Tyler Lewis’s recent comments about a unique throw blanket they created for a promotional photo shoot. So far, just one was made, but Tyler mentioned that they might consider making more if there’s enough interest. As someone who loves cocktails, is a fan of “The X-Files,” and bears skull tattoos while often feeling chilly, I feel like the perfect fit for their target audience.

The collaboration also highlights the recent passage of State Senate Bill 688. This past summer, when Gov. Josh Shapiro signed it into law as Act 86 of 2024, it marked an important milestone, allowing certain retail establishments that already sell beer and wine products with equivalent or lower alcohol content to legally sell to-go packs of ready-to-drink cocktails with an ABV of 12.5% or less for the first time in 91 years.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, established after the end of Prohibition in 1933, oversees state-operated liquor stores, which were historically the only retailers in the Commonwealth where residents could buy to-go packs of these canned beverages. However, with the introduction of new legislation, these products are now available at supermarkets, convenience stores, beer distributors, and restaurants.

Will Grove, who has long led development for Maggie’s Farm, believes that the law provides greater options for consumers and creates opportunities for craft producers and distributors. It was a natural choice to partner with a budding business that launched through a similar grassroots initiative as his own.

“We are walking the same path just separated by time,” he says. “Both companies started without a significant financial backing, both are incredibly resourceful, and both are dedicated to excelling in what they do.”

In the past, Maggie’s Farm ventured into the non-beer segment of the liquor market with the introduction of 5% ABV Personal Day Hard Seltzers, crafted from purified water, vodka, and real fruit juice. Jackworth, a company that was established just six months ago in Larimer, produces non-alcoholic ginger beer, alongside a 5% ABV offering, as well as a range of wines, ciders, beers, and spirits produced in Pennsylvania.

The Fireside Mule is available in limited quantities at Jackworth and Maggie’s Farm tasting rooms located in the Strip District and Upper St. Clair. A broader distribution to off-premise accounts is set to occur during the week of November 11.

They have produced 2,955 cans (approximately 120 cases) of this beverage. Should it achieve the seasonal success they expect, there will likely be another batch produced to help Pittsburghers endure the long, cold winter months. Furthermore, if the weather remains warm and sunny in January, they are considering creating a beach-inspired variant by incorporating pineapple.

It is important to mention that the Fireside Mule is gluten-free, which brings a bit of good news following the unfortunate announcement that Aurochs Brewing, an award-winning gluten-free brewery in Emsworth, will be closing by year’s end.

I learned about the partnership between Jackworth and Maggie’s Farm when I met Lewis at Baked True North in McCandless in late October. To my surprise, the gluten-free bakery was hosting a fall festival featuring local vendors. As a result, I departed with not only lemon squares, brownies, and cookies, but also a plethora of story ideas, a four-pack of hard ginger beer, a bottle of Hammajack Heat Co. hot sauce, and a Urban Myth Apparel T-shirt adorned with a skeleton design.

Autumn is undeniably the most delightful season of the year. Let’s savor it just a bit longer.

Maggie’s Farm can be found at 3212A Smallman St. in the Strip District and at 1387 McLaughlin Run Road in Upper St. Clair. Jackworth Ginger Beer Brewery is situated at 6615 Hamilton Ave. in Larimer.