Cock 'n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer

Why wouldn’t you pick up “The Extra Cherry Ginger Soft Drink”?  The bottle even has a cartoon bull and chicken on it for the kids.  For labeling purposes technically it’s Cock ‘n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer.  According to the label this beverage is a “liquid treasure” that contains “natural ginger flavor” and “natural cherry flavor”.  

A glance at the ingredients shows that there are “natural flavors” but doesn’t really specify how they are obtained.  I’ve always said that if a bottle says “natural cherry flavor” on it, yet the ingredients don’t include “cherry anything” to be skeptical.  I’m sure they aren’t lying, but they aren’t telling the full truth either.

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Cock 'n Bull 'n Hippo

That said I must give them some recognition for being the first cherry ginger beer that actually has a cherry smell to it.  Most are so lightly flavored with cherry your olfactory glands have to broaden their imagination to even being to detect the scent.

Very nice.  The cherry taste is noticeable, but doesn’t get in the way of the ginger beer.  It’s a fairly candied cherry taste, but honestly it makes the drink more fun.  

It’s within the front and finish of the drink… I like that terminology pairing so I’m going to rewrite the sentence.  The front and finish of Cock ‘n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer is where you get your cherry taste.  Sandwiched in the middle is gonna be your Ginger Spice.  As a child this was my favorite of the spice girls, but as I grew up I started leaning more toward Scary.

Ginger does it’s job, giving my mouth a quick sizzle that’s strong enough to linger long enough to be memorable.  This seer of the tongue lasts well into the final cherry aftertaste, culminating in a well paired “Buddy Cop Flick” of flavors.  

The biggest downside to Cock ‘n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer is that the cherry flavor tastes a bit more medicinal with each sip I take.  It doesn’t make me dislike the soda, but it certainly diminishes some of its initial charm.  Aside from that though it’s definitely something I’d recommend.  In fact I’ll do that right now.

~A

This was purchased at World Market

Goslings Ginger Beer

I’ve seen a lot of mascots on labels before, but never a seal until today.  Goslings Ginger Beer has a drawing of a seal on it’s label.  The seal has a life preserver around its neck with the word “Stormy” on it. This allows me to assume that it’s name is Stormy the Seal which is a perfectly acceptable name for a seal.

Stormy sits on the words “Ginger Beer” and underneath that “The refreshing zip of ginger”.  Now ginger is a lot of things, but “refreshing” was never something I’d attribute to it.  

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A seal, a hippo, and an iguana review a soda...

Ingredients wise this is comprised of carbonated water, HFCS, natural ginger beer flavor, citric acid, gum acacia, and ester gum.  Which one of those ingredients bothers you the most?  If it’s not “natural ginger beer flavor” then I’m questioning your questioning ability.

What is “natural ginger beer flavor”?  It’s clearly not “ginger” because I believe they’d have put “ginger” on the label.  Can you find “natural ginger beer flavor” in the wild?  Did they make a ginger beer through natural methods then steal it of its flavor? Isn’t a ginger beer one part carbonation and one part natural ginger beer flavor?  SO MANY QUESTIONS!  Enough questions, it’s time to drink.

Goslings Ginger Beer has the lightest of scents.  The little bit of aroma I can discern is more citrus than ginger.  HOLD THE PHONE.  This is the Official Ginger Beer of the 35th America’s Cup.  How did I not see this?  This better be fan-freaking-tastic if it’s the official anything of anything.

After the first sip my concern has cooled a bit.  Goslings Ginger Beer may have ridiculous ingredients and be an official something of something, but it’s better than I thought it’d be.  The mouthfeel is cool, crisp and refreshing at first.  This experience transforms smoothly into the ginger burn you’d expect with a ginger beer.  It’s a strong burn, but not overly so.  Strong enough that I’m enjoying the pain, but not so much that it’s keeping me from wanting to go back.

On the downside, I am noticing the more I drink this the more the cracks are starting to show.  What started off as cool and refreshing is being replace with metallic and medicinal.  The burn is unchanged, but overall Goslings Ginger Beer does not build upon itself well.  Odd how an experience can change so quickly.

So there you have it, Goslings Ginger Beer starts off well, but ultimately doesn’t meet the mark set by many of the ginger beers before it.

~A

This was purchased at an HEB grocer

Australian Style Hot Ginger Ale

I’m having a bad day.  Hopefully by the time this review gets posted I won’t be, but today hasn’t been the best.  I tell you this in case my mood influences this review, but I doubt it will.  The reason for my doubt is the fact there’s a kangaroo on the label of the soda I’m about to partake in.  Australian Style Hot Ginger Ale is the beverage at hand so it seems only appropriate and cliche that a kangaroo be on this bottle.  It’s a silhouette of a kangaroo so that makes it all the “artier”.  

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The kangaroo means it's authentic.

All I can gleam from the bottle is that this is a hot ginger ale that’s sweetened with “pure” cane sugar.  The ingredient list is short, which normally is good, and the only thing on it that bothers me at all is sodium benzoate.  So perhaps this hot ginger ale will burn off my bad mood… or maybe hurt my mouth to the point where I forget about it.

I get little to no ginger scent from the bottle itself.  If anything it smells like printer paper.  Not exactly the scent you strive for in this situation, but the flavor may make up for it.

Nope, not really.  It has a very light carbonation which is followed by the taste of printer paper.  The printer paper has been sweetened with some sort of sugary substance, probably sugar, and then a mild burning sensation begins in my mouth.

While still very noticeable, this is the weakest “burn” I’ve experienced from any bottle that had the words “Hot Ginger” on it.  Haha, that last sentence might bring a new demographic to the site if they have a very specific “taste”.  Let’s see if we can’t increase our chances of that.

Hot Ginger

Hot Ginger

Hot Ginger

Hot Ginger

Hot Ginger

Anywho, I don’t get any ginger flavor at all with this soda and that’s ok.  “Why is that ok?” you ask.  It’s ok because I honestly feel better that this soda has limited redeeming value.

So if you want a burning sensation in your oral cavity then look no further than Hot Ginger.

For our newest viewers of the site… sorry you didn’t get to see what you came here for, but I’m sure you like soda so why not stick around.

~Aaron

This soda was purchased at a Shell Gas Station

Bedford's Ginger Beer

Two things ring true today.  I have a headache and the bottle in front of me has more Olde English font on it than I’ve ever seen.  The font reads Bedford’s Ginger Beer as well as “robust flavor” and “Port Angeles Washington since 1984”.  There’s not a world where “robust flavor” ever needs to be in an olde English font.

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I'm starting to think my reviews are getting poor due to lack of mascot.

Bedford’s Ginger Beer has cane sugar as it’s sweetener and “Natural Ginger Flavor” as its flavor maker.  If I can’t buy a “Flavor Maker” online the world has failed me.  I don’t care what a “flavor maker” does, but it needs to exist.

Well the good news is that it smells like a Ginger Beer.  The bad news is that it smells a little like a household cleaner, but not enough that I’m scared to try it.

Pretty decent taste with this one and a considerable burn.  The front end is pretty refreshing, a nice cool treat even.  There’s a slight ginger taste for a split second then the fire roars to life and takes the life of the refreshment.  

Strangely enough the fire is fairly non-descript in flavor and just causes an overall burn of the mouth.  One that lasts well after the soda has been consumed.  I say all this because normally this burn has a ginger sensation to it, but this time it’s absent.  

Wait… why do the ingredients say “Natural Ginger Flavor”, but don’t mention any actual ginger?  Is that why the burn lacks in substance?  How does one make a natural ginger flavor without ginger?  I really need to stop before I head down this rabbit hole because I’ll go crazy.

Man, this has been a pretty sorry review so I’ll try to make these last few sentences concise.

Bedford’s Ginger Beer is an ok beverage and a slightly above average ginger beer.  The flavor profile is alright, but nothing to write home about… as evidenced by my lack of good review.

Sigh, if the first half experience of this soda was bottled it’d be good then boring, so I’m glad they spiced it up with some burning action.  Sadly the burning action takes away any memory I had of the intro words words words.

You see what happened there, I disliked this review so much I stopped it for no reason.

~A

I bought this at a Shell Gas Station

Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Brew

Ginger Beer could be classified as a “holiday” soda right?  It’s bubbly, spiced, and in this case in a red, white, and green labeled bottle.  The Christmas soda I’m speaking of precisely is Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Brew and the bottle I have is insanely large.  So large I’m probably not supposed to drink out of it, but who cares.  What if I just wanted over 25 oz of ginger brew?

No where on this bottle does it say “all natural”, but a quick look at the ingredient list would show you it is.  If you’re familiar with Trader Joe’s then this didn’t surprise you at all, nor should it come as a shock to see that it’s sweetened with cane sugar.  I think it’s about time we open this fantastic top and get to reviewing, don’t you?

The top quite literally popped, so loud in fact that I was fearful that it woke my sleeping baby.  If it had the review would have looked something like thls:

Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Brew

Stupid bottle ruins life.

Verdict - Burn it to the ground

Thankfully it did not wake my baby, so the review can continue on as scheduled.

The scent that so raucously escaped is definitely that of a ginger beer.  As it should be, the ginger aroma is incredibly strong and all but masks the pineapple backing it.  More than likely I’ll taste the pineapple with my first sip, but it wasn’t strong enough to make the aromatic debut.

Whelp, that’s a ginger beer.  The non ginger flavors are a bit more subtle than I thought they would be.  As muted as they may be I can still make out the honey and pineapple used in the creation of this soda.  The ginger flavor on the other hand is as loud as the bottle when I opened it... perhaps a bit too loud.

Over the years I’ve gotten used to the burn that ginger beers produce.  Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Brew seems overly strong just for the sake of being strong.  As soon as the beverage hits my mouth my taste buds rush to experience the flavor before ginger appears.  Less than a second later ginger storms into the room and just starts screaming.  Yes, we know you’re important ginger and we expected your volume to be a bit higher.  Just… just chill out a little, man.  You’re name is on the bottle, we know whose party this is.  

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Such an artistic angle.

Instead ginger just stands there screaming with a festive hat on.  Meanwhile pineapple and honey are wondering if any of their other friends are going to show up… they’re not.

I must admit the more I drink it the more familiar I’m becoming with the burning sensation, but at no point do I think this couldn’t be improved upon by lessening the amount of ginger used.  All in all though this is a pretty good ginger beer.  The ingredients are great, the bottle is great, the flavor is ok.  Give it a go if you run across it.  I’m not sure I’d want multiples of it when better brands are out there, but that’s why you have your own free will.

~A

This soda was purchased at Trader Joe’s and then given to me by Buttons.

Bruce Cost Ginger Ale Jasmine Tea

For the most part I’m a supporter of Bruce Cost Ginger Ale.  It definitely ranks up there in the “Most Sediment” category that I’ve just now made up.  The flavor is usually very true to its labeling and the ingredients are always top notch.  Today I’ll be trying their Jasmine Tea.  I’m not big into floral drinks so I’m not exactly sure why I picked this up.  Fortunately(?) I have a stomach ache so this should quell it some at the very least.

The aroma that wafts from this bottle of Ginger Ale Jasmine Tea favors ginger quite a bit.  Personally I was always a Mary Ann guy myself, but I digress.  There is an unmistakable jasmine aroma lurking in the back as well, so it’s nice to see that they didn’t skimp on their featured ingredient.

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Twist dated a Jasmine once... ONCE!

This tastes like a whole leaf tea, floral and earthy with tannins.  Ok, I just took that off the label of the bottle.  I wanted to sound fancy before giving you my review using regular words.  Thankfully the label once again does a lot of the work for me.  This tastes like Ginger Ale infused with Jasmine Tea.

The tea flavor really impresses me with how it’s able to stand out with such a strong ginger taste riding along side.  I would not have thought that I’d be able to pick it out at all, but here I am.  Carbonation wise it’s small bunched up fizz that just keeps the beverage lively in my mouth.  It’s a fairly standard mouth feel, but it’s not hurting it in anyway.  This isn’t a particularly sweet beverage, but the cane sugar and sweet jasmine do their jobs well.  You can easily return to the bottle without thinking you’re drinking sugary nonsense.

With true ginger ales you’ll usually have a degree of ginger burn.  This particular burn may be a bit strong for those who are used to Canada Dry or Schweppes, but for the seasoned ginger beer drinker it won’t be an issue.  All in all Bruce Cost Ginger Ale is a good beverage.  The flavors combine well and it’ll help your tummy to boot.  I’d definitely pick up multiples if I were you.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Bruce Cost Unfiltered Ginger Ale

Remember Orbitz?  It was a soda that had little tapioca balls floating in it.  I had it once, it was a little unnerving but mostly pretty boring.  This bottle of Bruce Cost Ginger Ale that I have in front of me has so much sediment in it that it reminds me of Orbitz.  Let’s find out exactly how different this is from Orbitz by reading the ingredients.  Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, 100% fresh ginger, and citric acid.  

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Twist is also unfiltered.

The funniest ingredient to me is 100% fresh ginger.  This is immediately false either way you take it.  The soda is obviously not 100% ginger, so that’s not what they mean by it.  Do they mean the ginger used is 100% fresh?  This ginger that’s been sitting in this bottle for who knows how long is 100% fresh?  Was it 100% fresh when they put it in the bottle?  They literally scraped the ginger still rooted to the ground into this bottle?  Don’t add numbers like 100% to your label, it can look silly.  Anywho the ingredient list is fantastic and now that I’ve mocked them enough I’m going to taste it.

A deliciously sharp ginger aroma jabs me in the nose.  By scent alone I know that this is a ginger ale to look out for.  Let’s make sure I’m 100% right.

Wow, that is a rather powerful ginger ale.  In fact it’s probably using 100% of its ingredients to create this power.  Seriously though, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale has a very pungent ginger taste backed by a light carbonation.  I immediately want this to have a bit more fizz to it, but I understand that this may be as much as they could get based on the ingredients used.  This lack of fizz causes it to sit in my mouth a bit heavy at times, not really creating the best of mouth feels.

This may also be the first beverage I’ve had where I can actually taste the cane sugar.  When I was a kid Grandaddy Jerk used to bring me sugar cane to chew on.  Bruce Cost Ginger Ale has that sugar cane flavor held within it’s bottle and it’s quite amazing that it was able to take me back.  Few sodas can manipulate time so color me impressed.  That sweet cane paired with the copious amounts make for a uniquely tasty soda.  

Unlike Orbitz, I don’t notice the sediment at all even in such large amounts.  What I do notice is how much burn this ginger gives it.  It’s a heat that I would expect out of a ginger beer, not it’s weaker little brother.  Perhaps that’s what 100% Fresh Ginger that’s still growing within the bottle can do for you.  Ok, I’ll stop.

All in all, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale is a wonderful soda.  The heat may be a bit much for some, but it’s worth the “pain” to enjoy a bottle.  Grab a couple for your fridge and see for yourself.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Oogave Loca Ginger Ale

Been a long time since I’ve reviewed an Oogave product.  If I had to guess I’d say it’s been over a year.  If I had to look it up and give you an exact date I’d say June 5th, 2013.  Loca is the diet brand of Oogave and today I’ll be reviewing their ginger ale.  It’s an all natural 10 calorie drink sweetened with both stevia (boo) and agave nectar (yay).  I don’t think I’ve ever had a diet ginger ale so this should be an interesting experience.

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Twist wanted to use the same Cypress Hill Gang joke as last time, but I wouldn't allow it.

Even though my sniffer isn’t at full functionality I can still discern the scent of ginger ale when I put my nose up to the can.  It’s a lighter aroma than Canada Dry, but perhaps the fact that it’s diet subdues the scent.

Upon first swig the ginger taste is very apparent, which is quite pleasing to my taste buds.  It’s not as sweet as most ginger ales, but if you’d read the first paragraph or even glanced at the picture of the can you could probably figure out why on your own.  The taste is light and easy to return to, leaving no syrupy feel in my mouth afterwards.

On the negative side of things it feels a little over carbonated.  It’s a rush of foamy bubbles with each sip.  Something I think would work better with a root beer instead of a ginger ale.  You can tell it’s a low calorie beverage without looking at the can.  The flavor, while pleasant, feels weakened and you get that diet vibe on the back end of each sip.  At no point does it taste chemical, but it may not be as rich as you would like a ginger ale to be.

All in all (a phrase I use entirely too much), Loca Ginger Ale is a great addition to the country of diet sodas, perhaps even the governor of a state.  In the world of sodas however it’s more along the lines of a nice next door neighbor.  Did that analogy even make sense?  Probably not, but I’m done anyway.

~A

Swamp Pop Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale

Ever had a soda named after a French Pirate?  Me either.  If that’s some sort of goal you hold than today’s review may interest you.   Swamp Pop’s Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale is what’s on the table today and the name alone excites me.  The ingredient list is still pretty vague, but their Noble Cane Cola was of a high enough quality I trust their ginger ale will follow suit.  Time to crack open this pale golden beverage and get to typing.

For being a ginger ale this smells fairly citrusy.  Of course the spiced aroma you’d expect is there, but the hint of citrus seems a bit out of place.  Perhaps my smeller has gone awry.  No matter as it’s my tongues turn to test.

Ok, so there’s a picture of what I can assume is an ingredient on the label.  I don’t know what I assumed it was, but after tasting this I can tell you that it displays slices of cucumber.  This was abundantly brought to my attention with my first taste.  As someone who is not fond of cucumber the distinct flavor hit my palate like a ton of bricks, but was quickly followed up with the fiery sensation of ginger root. 

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Twist is actually fathered the iguana that traveled with Jean Lafitte.  Small world.

Now having enjoyed cucumber sodas before, I was taken aback by the inclusion of the vegetable.  That said, this combination works quite well together.  The crisp taste of cucumber (a word I really didn’t expect to use at all in this review) is a bit muddled by the star of the show known as ginger, but that’s to be expected when “ginger” is on the bottle.  I am amused that not a single label mentions that this has a cucumber flavor.  You are to rely on its portrait and if I was a smarter man I’d have seen it coming from a mile away.  Why else would you put such a nonsensical picture on the bottle? 

The carbonation knows its role as it intensifies the heat given off by the ginger, but doesn’t get in the way of the flavors.  Once again I’m finding a Swamp Pop soda a little bit clingy in its aftertaste.  Thankfully this taste isn’t a bad one; it just lingers a bit longer than I’d care for it to.  That coupled with my dislike of cucumber will keep this from being rated crazy high.  It’s clearly an above average soda though and I’d recommend it to anyone that loves soda, cucumber, or ginger ales in general.

I really like Swamp Pop as a company.  They’re taking every day flavors found in sodas and truly making them their own.  Do my taste buds love every second of every sip?  No, but I can still appreciate the work put into this.  I haven’t tried the remaining two flavors yet, but I’m genuinely excited to do so.

~A

This soda supplied to us by Swamp Pop

Blenheim Ginger Ale Old #3 Hot

So this soda was given to me by you.  Your donations purchased this soda and I’m eternally grateful.  Perhaps “eternally” is a bit of a reach as I’ll probably forget you gave me this soda three years down the road, but I’m still very grateful to have such wonderful readers.  What you purchased for me was Blenheim Ginger Ale and since the label is red it’s the “hot” version.  It doesn’t say that it’s spicy anywhere on the bottle, but where I purchased this from has a “hot” version with a red top and a “not so hot” version with a gold top.  A quick look at the official Blenheim webpage tells me what I’m about to consume the “Old #3 Hot” version of their ginger ale.  Here’s the listed description:

Our boldest flavor that tantalizes and tingles the taste buds, and goes down as smoothly as a firecracker exploding in your throat. Some say its sinus clearing heat snatches their breath away for a bit, while others thrive on the explosion of spicy ginger essence.

Well that’s something I always wanted to experience, a firecracker exploding in my throat.  Here’s another fun fact:  Blenheim has been around since 1903 and are one of the earliest independent makers of soda.  I’m simultaneously intrigued and terrified of this recent development.  Smell test!

Yay a pop top!  I always feel a bit manlier when the cap doesn’t screw off for some reason.  Speaking of manly, the scent of this ginger ale is strong and fiery.  I think my years of experience has prepared me for whatever this soda is about to dish out in terms of heat, so let’s do this.

Well I was mistaken.  This is the hottest ginger burn I’ve ever experienced.  I let out three audible “woo’s” after my first sip.  For this next drink I’m going to time out how long the burn lasts.  Here we go…

Twist is slowly backing away

A full minute later the sizzle in the back of my throat has calmed down to a simmer.  The 15 seconds that begin and end that minute of pain are what I would expect out of a strong ginger beer.  In between those 15 second book ends is 30 seconds of uncomfortable fire.

If you can look past the mouth flame, the flavor of Blenheim Ginger Ale is quite nice and smooth.  It’s not too sugary, but sweet enough to feel like a treat.  The carbonation levels could be brought down a smidge to lessen the burn and improve the overall mouth feel.  So this is a better than average ginger ale if you can look past the obvious.

Sadly with each sip I take those qualities quickly vanish as Blenheim become less of a ginger ale and more of a gag gift.  The caustic feeling at the back of my throat is not pleasant.  Years ago I couldn’t finish a ginger beer because of the burn it produced.  Gradually, in all my soda reviews I’ve come to enjoy the feeling and experience that a good ginger beer gives.  Blenheim Ginger Ale is only something you drink to remind yourself that you’re alive.  I cannot suggest anyone try this, but I will say that I’d really like to try their “not so hot” version.  I bet Blenheim makes a great ginger ale, this one is just too much for me.

~A

Canada Dry Hot

So normally I'd just link you to Episode 46 - The Popcast Spectacular and call it a day, but we spent nearly $10 on this 3oz can so I figured it was worth giving a written review to.  Actually YOU spent nearly $10 on this can because we bought it with your donations!  Thank you so very much for donating so that we can review international beverages such as this!

Just so you're aware this review was written after we recorded the Podcast, but is written using my memory of the situation.  The rating used will by mine (Aaron) and everything below this paragraph will be accurate to my initial opinions of the soda at hand.

I think what called us to Canada Dry Hot other than the fact that it's a Japanese soda, is that it seems like a really good idea from the get go.  Hot ginger ale just works well within the logical portions of my mind.  The fact that Coke did a ton of research to allow cans to be heated without issue makes me believe that there was a market that agreed with my mind.  The last time a market agreed with my mind we got burnable CD's and I think we all know how successful that is.  Oh, you didn't know I invented that technology?  Well I didn't, but as a kid I had the idea so that counts for something... be it less than .001%.  

This isn't the time to talk about what could have been, it's the time to talk about what's in front of me.  I have a tiny can of soda with Japanese writing all over it.  All I know is that this can contains Canada Dry Hot Ginger Ale.  To prepare this liquid within this can for consumption we've taken a few steps.  Normally there would be a heated vending machine on the street and we'd just pick out what we wanted and drink it.  Since "normally" is in Japan we're going to have to heat this up through our own methods.  We got a pot of water boiling on the stove and we're going to remove it from its heat source.  Now we shall place the can in the heated water until we become too nervous to let it sit any longer.  Perhaps we'll drape a towel over it as well because we're terrified.  

As we're waiting I'm in a permanent flinch phase.  I know that Coke has designed these cans to be heated, but my brain still finds this to be so out of the ordinary it's worried.  Ok, ten minutes seems good.  Removing the can with a pair of tongs we're ready to crack 'er open, but need a pair of gloves to do so because of the heat coming off the can.  It's incredibly weird seeing steam come out of a soda can as I pour it into this mug.

The aroma that I'm experiencing is wonderful.  It smells like a light apple cider and makes me wish for a few more weeks of winter.  When I'm greeted with a bouquet like this I often pretend I'm in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes.  Their winters always seemed to be so much fun and I could almost feel the warmth of the fireplace.  Sadly though I only have this mug to enjoy, so I best get to enjoying it.

It's always a treat when the aroma accurately represents the taste.  Science probably says it should happen more often than not, but to me it seems to be about a 50/50 shot.  For the record our heating time and method worked flawlessly.  This is a fantastic sipping temperature and I wouldn't change a thing about it.  Each tiny sip I'm taking is filled the same light apple flavor I inhaled.  The spices used coat the back of my throat causing the slightest of burns, but adding to the overall effect of the beverage.  Only when I pull the can away does the ginger ale make itself known and it does indeed taste like a hot Canada Dry.  Thankfully the initial flavors seep into every second of my drinking experience, improving even the aftertaste.  Placing my face over the mouth of the mug builds a smile on my face and an anticipation of what is to come.  Another sip taken takes me on the same winding path of apple, spice, and finally ginger ale.  It's a combination that would be difficult to find error in as it creates its own nostalgia for a beverage I've never had before.  

While the carbonation seemed plentiful at the pour, like the world in The Neverending Story it has all but disappeared.  We're left with a single grain of sand to rebuild from and that is plenty considering what it has to work with.  

Canada Dry Hot will probably go down as the highest rated big name soda we've tried to date.  Would I spend $10 more dollars to get a second can?  I  might, but that's still nonsensically expensive for what it is.  Hopefully one day this product will make its way to America or at least become cheaper to get our hands on.

~A

Your donations brought us this beverage

So much Japanese

Cock ‘n Bull Ginger Beer

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Twist consumed this and vanished.

Ever feel ripped off when you look up a review of a soda?  You probably will now.  Cock n Bull Ginger Beer was reviewed on TheSodaJerks.net Popcast Episode 34.  I'll tell you the rating here, but if you want the delicious descriptions you'll have to listen. 

~A

TheSodaJerks.net Popcast Episode 34 - Cock n Bull Ginger Beer

Fentimans Victorian Lemonade

I’m feeling very kingly today.  My wife and I just got back from a baseball game where we were selected to participate in the StubHub Move of the Game.  From the cheap seats to two leather recliners in a much more posh section of the stadium.  There was even a television in front showing the game which oddly enough blocked half of the actual live game.  They didn’t really think that part through, but it was still cool to look at.  To top off my day on top I will be reviewing an appropriately named beverage, Fentimans Victorian Lemonade.  I just got through vacuuming the castle so I’m a bit thirstier than I normally am when I do a review.  Be sure and remember that as you read this knowing that it could be a little biased as I’m in need of refreshment. 

Fentimans Victorian Lemonade is fermented botanical lemon drink with ginger and herbal extracts… or so it says on the bottle.  It’s sweetened with cane sugar and the remainder of the ingredients listed are of equal quality.  Having reviewed Fentimans beverages before, I’ve come to expect a high quality soda.  I may not always agree with the flavor they present, but I only have respect for their process.  Now I shall doff the cap atop the bottle and begin my journey.

Oh, how I enjoy the dog printed on each bottle cap.  I’d love a Fentimans shirt with his picture on it.  That wasn’t a call for free merchandise, more like an out loud wish list.  Now that I’ve upended the bottle per the directions I place my good nostril (we all have one) near the opening.    While lemon is the first scent I recognize the ginger immediately makes it known that it will be a force to be reckoned with.  Here’s to great carbonated lemonade!

Fentimans Victorian Lemonade is liquid sour and I love it.  The real lemon juice used is unmistakable as it washes across the interior of my mouth.  As it visits each location (teeth, tongue, roof, etc) it lightly punishes them all with a burst of tart.  The ginger follows up said burst with a mild burn.  This burn isn’t quite as strong as I imagined it would be, but it’s still noticeable enough to be enjoyed.  The fermentation is very noticeable and may be a bit off putting to some.  Early in my journey as a soda reviewer I can tell you that I would have docked points for the flavor a fermented fruit brings to the table.  Now I can appreciate the taste of a somewhat fermented soda (it’s nonalcoholic by the way) and see that in some cases it really adds to the experience.  In this case the fermentation just allows Fentimans to differ even more from your standard lemon fare. 

Surprisingly, this lemonade is rather heavy in terms of mouth feel.  The juice and herbs used really weigh down the soda, but I’m not sure there’s any way around that issue without altering the flavor.  Sadly this heavy texture doesn’t allow the beverage to be all that refreshing.  Fortunately the carbonation is at just the right level to keep it from being completely stale in terms of thirst quenching.   

If you’re looking for a sugary lemon drink that your kids will love, this isn’t it.  Now, if you’re looking for a pleasantly complex lemonade that will sit with you for a while, you’ve found it.

~A

Twist helped Queen Victoria found Torchwood

Unfiltered Fresh Ginger: Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost – Pomegranate with Hibiscus

Ok, it has happened.  I am about to review the longest named soda I’ve ever seen.  Keep in mind at this point TheSodaJerks.net is home to nearly 500 reviews and this is by far the most obscenely long name we’ve come across.  Fresh Ginger: Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost – Pomegranate with Hibiscus is what’s in front of me and it will hence forth be called Bruce’s Pomegranate.  The first thing I noticed about Bruce’s Pomegranate is the amount of sediment sitting at the bottom of this bottle.  There are large chunks of something… like terrifyingly large chunks.  Some of them look are small dog treat sized and it’s frightening.  I’m now looking at the ingredients to see what this could be and I’m pleased to see it uses pure cane sugar as a sweetener.  It also seems to include brewed hibiscus with filtered water.  Maybe the large chunks are bits of hibiscus?  After consulting the website I’ve now learned that these large chunks are ginger and upending this bottle a few times should re-mix the formula I’m about to consume.  For the record this didn’t make me feel any better.  Smell time.

A floral yet lemon scent wafts out of the mouth of the bottle.  While the bird sizes pieces of ginger may still frighten me the aroma has calmed some of my nerves and pushes me to take a sip.  It does smell a bit like a cleaning solution, but since Bruce’s Pomegranate uses fresh lemon juice this can be excused.  Taste time.

That’s certainly the very definition of a natural ginger ale.  The burn hits the back of my throat almost immediately and I welcomed it.  What I can only assume is the pomegranate adds a slight twist on the normal ginger flavor with the smallest amounts of fruit sensation.  I’m not sure there are many flavors out there that could go toe to toe with this level of ginger and come out the victor.  I honestly have no idea what to look for in the way of hibiscus flavoring, but I can tell you the pomegranate is not alone.  There is a tiny friend of pom that rushes past on occasion adding a bitter aftertaste to every few sips. 

The carbonation levels are lower than you might think while still being noticeable to the overall experience.  Meanwhile the back of my throat has caught fire and here is where I realize that I’ve grown as a soda drinker.  When I started this site a natural ginger ale would scare me off with the level of pain it could cause to my mouth.  Now I appreciate a good burn although I would compare Bruce’s Pomegranate to more of a ginger beer due to the flame being set so high.  With the last few sips disappearing into my stomach what I think is the hibiscus flavor is making a push towards the front.

 I’ve started consuming most of the sediment and honestly I didn’t even notice I was doing it.  With a final gulp this ginger ale is finished.  While an all-natural ginger ale at heart the pomegranate/hibiscus combination added a little something to the drink overall.  Heck, even the lemon juice was present at times.  It may be a bit too harsh on the throat for some, but if you’re a fan of ginger ale at all then I recommend you pick this up. 

~A

Whenever we go out. The people always shout.  There goes Unfiltered Fresh Ginger: Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost- Pomegranate with Hibiscus... Dah dah dah dah, dah dah dah!

C&C Ginger Ale

This is review 6 or 7 of the very extensive C&C line of sodas.  Today I decided to dial it back a bit.  What exactly I’m dialing back I don’t know, but since I’m reviewing C&C Ginger Ale it seemed to work in my brain for at least 15 seconds which is why I ended up writing it down.  So yeah… C&C Ginger Ale sits in front of me in a bottle with a green color theme as so many ginger ales seem to sport.  I’m not really sure why ginger ale is associated with the color green.  Perhaps it’s to give the consumer the feeling that they’re buying something natural.  Perhaps the first truly successful ginger ale was in a green container and the others just followed suit.  Perhaps the ginger ale people just wanted to stick it to Kermit the Frog and prove to him how easy it is to be green.  With a 22% chance that one of those theories is even in the ballpark of being correct I feel it’s time I moved on to the drinking portion of this review.  Onward!

A stronger ginger scent that I expected escaped the 7/8ths of an inch opening at the top of the bottle.  Granted, the word “ginger” is nowhere to be seen in the ingredients and I must assume that they would have prominently displayed it instead of the incredibly vague “natural flavors” which has unfortunately become a staple of soda ingredients.    Shall I drink?  Yes I shall.

With my first sip I realize that C&C really tried to make a decent ginger ale here.  They certainly did not give minimal effort in its creation which is nice seeing as ginger ale is a soda many just phone in.  A pleasant burst of ginger flavor rushes across my taste buds in a flurry of excitement.  The carbonation levels are just perfect for ginger ale, giving you some substantial fizz for the upset stomach it may be curing.  C&C also avoided making their ginger ale too sweet, but kept it sweet enough that I want to go back and drink more of it.  Other than being made with chemicals the primary downside to C&C Ginger Ale is the fact that the finish is a husky shadow of what my mouth first experienced.  I say a husky shadow because it’s not a slight drop off, yet it’s also not a giant drop off from where I started.  The finish is a bit more watery than I’d like and it’s the unhappy memory I’m left with at the end of each gulp.  With all that said I still feel that C&C Ginger Ale is as good as the mainstream ginger ale’s out there (maybe even better than some) and will rate it as so.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C.

Twist and Kermit have an ongoing feud on the ease of being green.

Goose Island Spicy Ginger

Let’s use our imaginations for a moment.  Picture yourself on an island with a saucy redhead, either sex works, and you’re looking around at all the flora and fauna.  Suddenly you hear a noise in the distance, a cacophony of honks and flapping.  You and your redheaded friend look to the horizon and see millions of geese flying your way only to watch them land all around you.  You didn’t know the name of this island before this moment, but it wouldn’t even matter if you had because from here on out you’ll refer to it as Goose Island.  You’re stuck on Goose Island with a Spicy Ginger and that’s what we’re reviewing today… Goose Island Spicy Ginger. 

I’m not sure why I drew out telling you the name of the beverage in such a way, maybe I was just feeling saucy myself.  Immediately I’m worried by this bottle of Goose Island Spicy Ginger because it says it has “natural flavor”.  Yes it’s sweetened with cane sugar, but I can’t seem to find the ingredient “ginger” listed anywhere.  If there were actual ginger used in this concoction then I’d assume (thus making us both asses) they’d list it on the bottle and not just “natural flavors”.  At least Canada Dry says it’s “made from real ginger” even though it has “natural flavors” in the ingredients.  Ah well, it’s the taste that’s important right?  Not the fact that up to this point I have to assume you made a ginger flavored soda and nothing more.  Onward!

There we go.  The scent at hand reminds me of a ginger beer which is stronger than I expected.  Again I must go back to the label which doesn’t specify if this is a ginger beer or a ginger ale, something I feel is fairly important.  Is my throat about to be burned or am I going to quell any queasiness in my tummy?  I guess the only way to find out is to drink it.

Eh, it’s alright.  Have you ever been on Splash Mountain or at least know what the concept is?  When you pass it by at Disneyland/World you watch people go over a large waterfall into a “briar patch” below.  So you know that when you get in the log you’re going to eventually take a giant fall, pose for a camera, and go home after having fun family adventure.  You see Disney knew that you’d be expecting that great fall so they added a couple of fake falls just to mess with you.  The buildup is there as you climb higher and higher, but when you reach the top you’re subjected to a tiny dip only teasing you for what is yet to come. 

That is a perfect, yes I said perfect, analogy of what Goose Island Spicy Ginger tastes like.  As soon as it hit my tongue my split second reaction was “Spicy Ginger Soda Town, here I come!”  After that split second had split I was left with sugar water with ginger flavoring.  It’s not gross by any means, but it’s boring.  At least Canada Dry has a strong enough carbonation kick to keep it “saucy”.  “Why do you keep bringing up Canada Dry?” you might be asking your computer screen.  I keep bringing it up because to me it’s the baseline of all ginger ale.  It’s the mass produced version that many of us have tried and if you can’t beat it then who cares.  If Goose Island Spicy Ginger could keep that initial “buzz” then it wouldn’t even be a contest and I’d recommend it immediately.  Sadly that’s not the case here, but the imagery at the beginning of the article was fun right?

~A

Twist was once Prince of Goose Island until the takeover