Zevia Ginger Ale

As you may have noticed we’ve gotten an influx of Zevia reviews in the past few weeks.  This is because the kind folks at Zevia sent us a sample of all their flavors.  One of the two I’ve chosen to review is Zevia Ginger Ale.  Zevia of course is sweetened with the stevia leaf, a natural sugar alternative that has zero caloric value.  Zevia soda is also 100% all natural… something we can all get behind.  Adorning the side of the can I’m about to open are the words “It’s what soda should always have been.”  Hold up there Zevia, let’s just see about that.  I’ve had stevia sweetened drinks before and while initially the taste is good the aftertaste always ruins the party.  This is one reason I chose ginger ale as one of my two flavors to review.  I believe that ginger ale should have a muted enough aftertaste to hopefully knock out any trace of stevia.  Let’s find out!

Upon sniffing said all natural soda I find a light ginger scent wafting out of the drink hole.  Putting my face this close to the can makes me realize that I never mentioned the can art itself.  I like it.  It’s a simple olive/forest green background with the bubbly Zevia logo floating along with the bubbles.  It’s not flashy but it’s unique enough to catch the eye.  I’ll have to find out if they make shirts.  Time for a taste.

Ok, well my initial fear is somewhat quelled.  Zevia Ginger Ale is one of the lighter flavored ginger ales I’ve tasted to this point.  The taste that you experience throughout the Zevia Ginger Ale drinking process never changes.  It’s a lightly flavored ginger soda that tastes a little chemically due to what I can only imagine is the stevia.  Since the drink itself tastes oddly chemically there is no chemical aftertaste… because the taste never changes enough for me to consider it an aftertaste.  I really wish I could like this soda but I probably won’t drink it ever again.  I can finish this can and at the end of the review I’ll suggest that you do the same.  (*Note* I tried to finish the can and got to the point where I didn’t want to try anymore.  Ultimately this is what dropped the score. *End Note*) The stevia aftertaste, which in this case is the actual taste, isn’t for everyone which means it’s also for someone.  I’m just one of those people that isn’t a fan of it.  I like the concept behind stevia sweetened sodas but the delivery always falls short.  I will say that we’ve reviewed a beverage that was half sugar, half stevia sweetened and that it was fantastic!  Maybe that’s what needs to happen here.  Is zero calories so much better than half the calories of a normal soda when the taste is put into jeopardy?  It’d still be all natural but the aftertaste that many of my reviewers have noted would probably be gone.  As a diet soda it’s a great alternative!  I mean it’s an all-natural diet soda… that’s wonderful but at the end of the day I have to judge this on a normal soda scale.  If you were reading then the upcoming verdict should be of no shock.  Great ingredients, good can art, meh flavor that gets worse the more you drink it.

~A

(note:  This beverage was supplied to us by Zevia)

So refreshing... the iguana not the drink

Seagram's Raspberry Ginger Ale

   I’m a lazy person by nature.  These two holiday weeks off were not planned… it was more along the lines of an excuse I made up.  With that said, I still procrastinated greatly to write my first review of the New Year.  I’m sure once I get back into a rhythm I’ll be good to go but this first one was pushed back 2 or 3 times.  I have a fridge full of new drinks but the soda picked for today’s review is seasonal so it goes before the rest.  What I have in front of me is Seagram’s Raspberry Ginger Ale, given to me by D-Dub.  Now, I love raspberry flavored things as I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before.  I also have a joy for ginger.  I’m sure the last sentence can be taken many ways(several of them ringing true for me) but what I’m speaking of is ginger ale.  The side of the can does note that the raspberry flavoring inside is one of a natural origin.  Yay.  Reading the side of the can I notice that the green you would normally find adorning the aluminum of this can has been replaced with a much more festive raspberry pink.  Of course I noticed that way before I read the side of the can but I needed some sort of segue.  With the descriptive stuff out of the way we can now begin!

   As soon as I opened the can I heard a police siren outside.  Hopefully I’m not breaking some sort of federal law since I *insert funny here*.  The scent wafting from the mouth of the can is certainly that of raspberry.  The first thing I thought of when I inhaled it was that it reminded me of a scent you might find in a flavored water.  Hopefully Seagram’s Raspberry Ginger Ale has much more flavor than a bottle of Clearly Canadian.  I didn’t mean to name drop Clearly Canadian, it was just the first flavored water that came to mind.  On to the consumption!

Thought 1:  I like both regular ginger ale and green tea ginger ale better.

Thought 2:  While listed as natural the raspberry flavoring tastes a bit fake.

Thought 3:  The initial taste is good, the ride in the middle is ok but the finish has something to be desired. 

   Those are the first three thoughts that entered my head when I first consumed this.  The carbonation in this beverage is stronger than most but you don’t really feel that until after you swallow.  I hold raspberry flavored items to a very high level.  Remember when “Blue Raspberry” candy came out in the mid 90’s and everyone freaked out?  People were so very happy to have blue raspberry candy where it once was not.  Being a fan of raspberry I thought “how very odd for it to be blue… oh well let’s try this brand new blue raspberry SweetTart.”  Disappointment hit me hard in the face.  So while people were jumping off buildings out of the excitement that was new blue raspberry flavored candy, I sat home and cried for five straight years.  FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS!  That’s how hard I judge raspberry flavoring.  Now with that said I can at least tell that this is supposed to be raspberry flavored.  It’s just not what I would suggest a raspberry enthusiast try first thing after they woke up from a coma.  Finally, the HFCS really makes an impact on this beverage.  The finish of Seagram’s Raspberry Ginger Ale has a very sticky mouthfeel, much like Sprite.  This might be something they could fix if they sweetened with sugar instead.  Ah well… that’s just a crazy dream I suppose.  With all that said I did finish the drink and it wasn’t  that bad of an experience.  I just won’t be drinking one of these again anytime soon.

~A

The can is almost camouflaged on that fantastic maroon couch.  Twist is not.

Reed's Original Ginger Brew

   We've reviewed so manyReed’s Gingerproducts it amazed me to find out that we’ve never tried their Original Ginger Brew.  Well guess what, and unless you’re horrible at guessing you’ll probably guess correctly.  That’s right we’re shutting the site down out of embarrassment… after of course we review Reed’s Original Ginger Brew, review several other sodas, make a profit off of the site, open a store that rivals Wal-Mart in terms of power, achieve a cult like following, and buy golden DeLoreans only to have endangered owls race them to a fiery, fiery, aftermath.  So let’s get to it!

   Much like the other Reed’s Ginger products, this one has quite the ginger aroma.  No it doesn’t smell like a red-head… that would be creepy.  What it does have is 17 grams of fresh ginger per bottle.  Now this concerns me a bit because the bottle says “All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Ale”, but this is starting to seem more like a ginger beer.  Only one way to find out… inject it into my veins.  Sadly my Ginger Injection Machine (G.I.M) is on the fritz, so I’ll just drink it instead.  Have I mentioned that I’m feeling a bit off today? I have no idea why.

   Delicious!  So far it’s as promised… rich, flavorful, ginger ale!  While the side of the bottle clearly says “Strong Ginger Bite”, I think I’m home free from experiencing something that would set my tonsil holes ablaze.  It’s very light in carbonation, which normally would be bad for a ginger ale in my book, but the rich flavor of ginger really makes me not care much about anything else.  “Wait Aaron… if the ginger flavor is so rich, why isn’t it burning your mouth?”  Who said that?  Oh, you!  First off, leave my house… wait don’t forget your wallet.  Secondly, I compare it to having really rich chocolate that doesn’t taste overly sweet.  Ok… the answer is that I don’t really know.  I see that this has 8 grams less than Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew (which is a ginger beer), so I’m sure that plays a large factor.  I had a bit of a stomach ache earlier, and the ginger is effectively knocking that out as well as giving my stomach a warming sensation.  Thanks Reed’s.  Threeds.  The only negative thing I can say about this is that it leaves a bit of a film in your mouth.   The film has the same consistency of what you might find in the after effects of a swig of grape juice, of course that only applies if you have the same reaction to grape juice as I.  Even with that tiny complaint, this still ranks as one of the best ginger ales that I’ve ever tasted. 

~A

Faux Fact: Iguanas are a combination of water, ginger, and scales

Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer

   Oh boy!  It’s time to remind myself of how much of a wuss I am as I attempt to consume a Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer.  Read as I curl into the fetal position because the main ingredient is “fire”.  There is no actual fire in this bottle, but something tells me that if I can’t drink an American ginger beer without discomfort, an Australian one will leave me in tears.  If you don’t know our history of reviewing ginger beer, here’s a short lesson.  Neither one of us can finish a bottle because our throats cry as much as you do when you watch Steel Magnolias.  BURN!  Yes, we’re talking about the burn.  You know the packaging… cool top, cool kangaroo, and pieces of ginger floating within.  Let’s take a whiff.

   Smells like ginger… I was always a Mary Ann kinda guy myself though.  BRING ON THE PAIN!

   The first drink is how I remember most ginger beer, a little bit of bite, with an almost gingersnap aftertaste.  It’s like the ginger beer is luring you into a safe place, waiting to pounce on you with napalm.  Let’s us now continue… counting along the way to see how many drinks it will take before I can takes no more!  Two.  I felt a little bit of the fire on this one, but nothing that’s going to scare me off.  Three.  The flames are lingering a bit more, but I’m still enjoying the flavor enough to keep on going.  Four.  That gulp had some bite in it… not so much fire as the initial sting of the ginger.  I kind of liked it.  Am I becoming a man?  Five.  Tamer than four, and I think I’m going to stop counting now and see if I can’t just finish this off.  I’ve now consumed more than half the bottle, and while my throat is in a little bit of discomfort, finishing this beverage will make me feel better about myself. (88 MPH)  Finished, and the only time I felt any true discomfort was on the last swig.  While I know I shouldn’t, I genuinely feel tougher.  Yes look at me; I’m so tough I can drink an Australian ginger beer.  Ha HA!  Watch as my fist goes through this brick wall, into a bank safe, and comes out with a fist full of diamond dust that I created by crushing a piece of coal.  To be honest I’ve had harsher ginger beer, but I could never truly appreciate them due to my kitten like sensitivities.  With Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer I’m able to drink, taste, and enjoy it while getting a feeling of accomplishment at the end.  This has a great ginger flavor, a tolerable amount of burn, and a rockin’ kangaroo on the bottle.  If you like ginger beer at all you’ll probably want to…

~A

Oddly enough, Twist had kangaroo for dinner

Natural Brew -hand crafted- Outrageous Ginger Ale

I've been neglecting my postings for a bit too long now... so it's time to play catch-up. This week we start with Natural Brew *hand crafted* Outrageous Ginger Ale. Since that's a really long name, I'm just gonna call it Natural Brew Ginger Ale, or NBGA, from here on out.

I used to think I liked Ginger Ale. I liked Vernor's, Canada Dry, and Schweppes was even ok. Then I started trying stuff with real ginger in it, and I quickly realized I wasn't a fan of the 'real ginger' taste. I can honestly say that I have spotted NBGA on the shelf at my local store, and wanted to purchase it. The bottle I'm about to review was given to me from a friend.

Here goes. Ok, I don't like this. It kind of has a sickly sweetness about it, with the ginger burn that normally follows. This is something I would politely pretend to enjoy, and slowly pour it out in the process, while the person wasn't looking. It's just a bit too sweet for me, but not in a good way. The burn doesn't seem to be as much as previous ginger ales, but normally that doesn't hit full affect until at least half the bottle is consumed.

All in all I think I'm done with 'natural' ginger ale drinks for a while. There is obviously a market out there for them, I'm just not part of it. Give me my Vernor's any day, over these specialty drinks.

~A

Reed's Ginger Beer

While I was picking up my standard soda's for review this week at HEB, I decided to try some of Reeds Ginger Ale. When I got home, much to my chagrin, I had picked up Ginger Beer. Ginger Beer, as both Mike and I describe it, is like Ginger Ale + Fire. I figured that Reeds might be a bit different, because of the excellent products Reeds puts out.

After getting my first taste I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a Ginger Ale, and Ginger Snap, combination with a refreshing value to it. As I continued with the bottle the slight hint of fire began to invade my palate. I got to about halfway down the bottle until it wasn't refreshing for me anymore... then I had to stop. I knew where this road lead, and I wasn't going to go down it.

~A

Old Jamaican Ginger Beer Twist

Here is another drink review from the same man that gave me an Ironbeer to try. I loved Ironbeer, but this time it's something a bit different. Time to review a Ginger Beer... TWIST!

I've heard Mike talk about Ginger Beer before, and how this will burn my mouth when I try it. I like Ginger Ale, but I know not to expect that when I take my first sip. Lets open the bottle. OK, so it smells like Pine-Sol... almost exactly. That's a bit concerning, but never the less let's take a swig. Well, it's doesn't taste what I would think Pine Sol tastes like, but Mike is correct that it burns. It's not a horrible "OH THE HUMANITY" burn, but it's definately felt in the back of the throat. Looking at the ingredients I see why it smelled like a floor cleaner, lime juice. I feel kind of stupid now, because looking at the label for any amount of time will show you that there are limes all over it. I'm talking the border of the label is comprised of limes, and nothing else. Now I'm a big fan of the lime, but I'm not sure I'm enjoying it to the fullest in this drink.

The more I drink this the more it reminds me of pine-sol and fire. I'm to the point where I don't think I'm going to finish this. It's not that the heat that I'm feeling from the ginger is so over powering I can't physically finish it. It's the fact that I don't like the back of my throat burning every time I take a drink of something that supposed to be refreshing.

On to the bottle. It's in a glass bottle, which is always a plus. The drink is viewable from the outside, and looks like a kind of limeade. As an added bonus the glass is green, I always like the green glass bottles the best. It makes no attempt to hide what it is. It's obviously a ginger beer, as it has pictures of ginger on it, with lime. As I said before the label is covered with limes. By it's own regard it says that it is a "Naturally & Artificially Flavored Carbonated Beverage"... no fanciness here. All in all if you can get past the burning of the throat, which is slight but annoying, I think you'd probably enjoy this drink. Me personally, I cannot overlook it. If you're a fan of ginger related items, then pick it up and give it a try.

~A

Vernor's: The Original Ginger Soda

Original Written Review from May 27, 2008

Ginger Ale... I'm sad to say that I went 25 years of my life without ever trying it. When I did try it I was amazed, it was what Sprite should be. Sprite, while drinkable, is not my favorite soda, but that's for another time.

I let CJ, my girlfriend, pick out what I was going to review this go round. She did pretty well selecting the Vernor's. First off, I don't think you can compare this to Ginger Ale which is where I went wrong to start off with. It it clearly labeled as a Ginger "Soda", and the original one at that. In comparison with Canada Dry, there is no comparison, they don't taste much alike... aside from the bit of ginger you might taste. *Update* This is indeed a Ginger Ale, it's just marketed as Ginger Soda. In fact Vernors Ginger Ale, along with Hines Rootbeer, is the oldest American born soda dating back to 1866! *Update*

Originally I thought that there was a Viking on the can of Vernor's (I keep wanting to spell it Wernor's due to my taking German). Oddly enough, it's a gnome. The fact that gnomes go into the making of this soda amuse me to probably buy more in the future. My next descriptive term is going to turn a lot of you away from trying this beverage. It tastes a bit like carbonated egg nog. I know that sounds gross, but that's because you're probably combining egg nog and seltzer water... it's nothing like that. It's really a pleasant flavor. It's not overly sweet, it leaves a nice after taste, and it has a gnome on the can. Really the more I've consumed this, the more it's grown on me.

While it is a Ginger Soda, by no means would I make this my first choice if I had a stomach ache. I think it might be just a little to sweet for that. Overall I recommend it to those who are fans of ginger drinks, if I remember correctly it wasn't so overly expensive that you'll have to only buy it on special occasions.

~A