Do you ever get annoyed by people in the grocery store who linger in a particular spot, oblivious to passers-by? That’s me. The annoyer, not the annoyee. I am the one blocking the shelf with my cart while I peruse ingredient lists and compare prices. Well, to be honest, the price comparisons are just a pretense; what I really care about is quality. I feign comparing prices because I know that’s what a good Mennonite should do. However, as long as a price is not unreasonable, I am generally willing to pay more for a better product. The only thing that causes me to tarry is not knowing which product is best.
I have performed this very ritual in the soda aisle revolving around ginger ale. It is strange that I should not know which ginger ale is best considering it is the only soda I keep around the house. It is useful to have on hand for mixed drinks, upset stomachs, or just a cool, refreshing beverage that is not water, juice, or milk. Most of the time I end up buying whichever of the “Big Three” ginger ales—Canada Dry, Schweppes, or Seagram’s—is on sale.
So when my brother, Danny, mentioned the idea of a ginger ale tasting, I was immediately on board. That was a few months ago, but the idea finally came to fruition on Sunday when I hosted a Ginger Ale Tasting and Football Party.
We may have gone a little overboard with the ginger theme; my sister-in-law, Meg, led us in a ginger trivia game with gingery prizes, I made Indonesian Ginger Chicken for supper, and we even had a bonus ginger snap tasting. However, the main event of the night was the blind ginger ale tasting, led by Danny. (The NFL playoff game, Ravens v. Patriots, pretty much faded into the background.)
Our tasting was divided into five categories: the “Big Three” Dry Ginger Ales, Other Dry Ginger Ales, Golden Ginger Ales, Ginger Beers, and Homemade. Danny made a tasting worksheet for us, complete with some notes on ginger ale history. You can check out Wikipedia’s ginger ale article if you want learn about its history and the different categories.
Before I get to the results, let me just say that I only have my notes, Cris’s notes, and my memory to go on. I will do my best to represent the consensus of all eight tasters, but my memory is fallible, and Cris used the word “grabby” in his notes more than once. Any dissent can be expressed via comments.
The “Big Three” Dry Ginger Ales
Until I tasted these ginger ales side-by-side, I never knew what a difference there was between the three major brands.
Our Favorite: Schweppes
Light, crisp, and just a little tart. A good all-around ginger ale. This was the clear winner in the category.
2nd: Seagram’s
Mild and not too sweet. Nothing to complain about here.
3rd: Canada Dry
Mild and sweet. Maybe a little too mild, and maybe a little too sweet. Still, overall a very passable ginger ale.
Other Dry Ginger Ales
Our Favorite: Northern Neck
Could it be that the Virginia palates of the tasters favor the local brew? Northern Neck Ginger Ale has been produced in Montross, Virginia since 1926. It might be hard to find outside Virginia’s Northern Neck, but do yourself a favor and take a trip there, not just for the ginger ale, but for the other attractions as well. This was my favorite of all the ginger ales we tasted. It was nice and crisp, not too sweet, and it had a stronger ginger kick than most of the other drys. Fantastic!
2nd: Chill
Chill is a cheap store brand available at Red Front Supermarket. Cris’s notes simply said “good.” I liked the ginger flavor, but there were some other flavor notes that were so-so. I was slightly more reserved and rated it “pretty good.”
3rd: Dominion
This Virginia brew did not fare as well as its compatriot. It was sweet and gingery, but unremarkable.
Polar
“More Ginger, Less Sugar” is the tagline for this Worcester, Massachusetts ginger ale. Alas, we found it lacking in flavor other than an undesirable aftertaste.
Golden Ginger Ales
Our Favorite: Reed’s Original Ginger Brew
Reed’s Inc. touts the natural ingredients in their ginger brews. The honey and pineapple sweeteners seem to work because Reed’s took the top two honors in the golden category. Our favorite was the Original. The unusual ingredients lend it a unique flavor. Gingery. Peppery. Tasty.
2nd: Reed’s Premium Ginger Brew
Similar to the Original brew. Premium is mildly sweet with a good ginger flavor. Refreshing.
3rd: Ale-8-One
The only caffeinated ginger ale of the whole tasting, Ale-8-One is a regional drink from Winchester, Kentucky. While I enjoyed the mild ginger flavor, I found this one overly sweet.
A-Treat
A-Treat is a ginger ale from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Cris’s notes indicate that it is “plain old good.” I found it lacking in flavor and just kinda blah.
Vernors
According to Wikipedia, Vernors is “America’s oldest surviving soft drink.” It was created in Detroit, Michigan in 1866. The first thing we noticed about Vernors was the aroma. Some said it smelled like vomit, perhaps due to the barrel aging. Despite the odor, the flavor was OK. However, many of us thought it tasted more like cream soda than ginger ale. It was sweet and lacking in ginger flavor.
Ginger Beers
Our Favorite: Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew
It was difficult to choose a favorite ginger beer, but I think we all liked Reed’s Extra. It was more gingery (gingerier?) than the ginger ales we sampled, though not terribly pungent. Like the other Reed’s varieties, it had a good flavor.
Goya Jamaican Style
By far, Goya ginger beer had the most kick. Memorable quotations include “hot sauce ginger ale” and “it burns us!” (in a bad Gollum impression). Cris’s notes suggest using it in short bursts or possibly as an industrial solvent. My review was slightly more favorable. If you can handle the burn, it has a nice sweet, gingery flavor, not unlike the ginger beer I had when in Jamaica.
Gosling’s
Gosling’s was visibly discernible from the other varieties due to its cloudy appearance. The flavor was sweet and moderately gingery. The only problem was that it was rather flat.
Homemade
Meg made two varieties of homemade ginger ale. They were so different that there was nothing blind about this portion of the tasting. Because they were both so good, I declare a tie in this category!
Fermented/Brewed
Meg used Alton Brown’s Ginger Ale recipe, and it was wonderful. The ginger ale was slightly cloudy with a mild ginger flavor and a hint of yeast. Not too sweet. Very enjoyable.
Syrup plus Club Soda
Meg used a recipe from Epicurious for this one. It had a fresh, clean flavor that could easily be adjusted, in both amount of ginger and sweetness, to suit your taste. So refreshing!
Ginger Snaps
I am a big fan of ginger snaps, so this category (with two sub-categories) is entirely my doing. And much to my surprise, I discovered I have been buying the wrong brand of ginger snaps for years. Sorry, Murray, you have been replaced!
Regular
Our Favorite: Stauffer’s
Sweet sassy molassy ... and ginger ... and spices! Just what you want in a ginger snap. Well, all that plus snap ... which Stauffer’s ginger snaps have. Oh ... and there’s red pepper in there too. What!? Perfection!
2nd: Murray
While I must concede that Stauffer’s is the best, my long-time favorite, Murray, is a close second. Good flavor. Good snap. Just not as good as Stauffer’s.
3rd: Nabisco
Not too shabby. Good flavor. Good snap. Just not as good as Murray. Furthermore, all the cookies are stamped with the same fake crinkly texture. What’s the point? I would prefer a more natural look.
Kroger (store brand)
Good snap, but lacking in flavor. The leftovers of these cookies are destined to be a crumb crust.
Gluten-Free
Our Favorite: Pamela’s Products Simplebites Ginger Mini Snapz
These cookies are right up there with Stauffer’s and Murray. Excellent flavor and snap. You don’t even miss the gluten (until you eat them side by side with a regular ginger snap). The best snap in its category by far!
MI-DEL Gluten-Free Ginger Snaps
Of all the ginger snaps we sampled, this is the only one that lacked snap, an essential quality. Danny, however, really seemed to like the soft texture. (He was the only one.) The flavor was OK, but not nearly good enough to overcome its lack of snappiness.
Conclusion
What a blast! A big thank you to Danny and Meg for doing most of the work, and to all the other tasters for providing their opinions and making the evening so much fun. My shopping habits are forever changed. From now on, Schweppes will be my everyday ginger ale, though I will always opt for Northern Neck when I can get it. And Stauffer’s has replaced Murray as my must-have ginger snap, except when Andrea visits and I go gluten-free with Pamela’s Snapz. Happy Ginger Ale-ing and Snapping to you all!
