291242 Sun Dec 15 20:29:14 -0800 2002 35 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1583938 BTW, what's the difference? Tis the season, for me, for the old fashioned hi-ball or is that high ball (ginger ale and whisky). Besides, it's been rainy and cold in SF and I'm trying to ward off a cold. I bought a few bottles of fancy ginger ale and ginger beer and have been experimenting. This is the third drink, so that may explain the spelling errors. In the non gourmet category and probably non ginger variety, I've always liked Canada Dry. I am finishing up a ginger beer that I am just crazy about ... The Ginger People ginger beer. It's not traditional. There's a real lime kick to it along with the ginger tingle. Unfortunately booze doesn't seem to enhance the flavor. Doesn't detract either though. So what's your favorite ginger ale or beer? Sun Dec 15 20:29:14 -0800 2002 0 Stanley Stephan 1 1583939 Reed's Ginger Beer - available at Costco - is my husband's favorite. But he drinks it straight so I don't know how it mixes. Sun Dec 15 20:35:56 -0800 2002 1583938 0 Barbara 1 1583942 Ginger beer has considerably more ginger in it than ginger ale. Neither contains any alcohol. Ginger beer is great for rum drinks. Lots of ice, a shot or so of dark rum, ginger beer, and a wedge of lime in a tall glass--called a "Dark and Stormy," I believe--is to die for, especially on a hot summer day. Ginger ale is good for an upset stomach. Sun Dec 15 21:01:39 -0800 2002 1583938 0 Tom from NC 2 1583943 PS My favorite is Old Tyme Jamaican Style Ginger Beer, the one with the pirate with an eye patch on the label. Stewarts makes a fine ginger beer, too. Sun Dec 15 21:03:30 -0800 2002 1583942 0 Tom from NC 2 1583949 Moscow Mules were very popular in the 60's -- vodka and ginger beer served in an iced copper mug with a lime wedge. Sun Dec 15 21:41:36 -0800 2002 1583942 0 zora 1 1583944 I like ginger beer much more than ginger ale, which is insipid in comparison. I concur with a previous poster that Old Thyme Jamaican is the best. Stewarts is more syrupy, but okay. Ginger People and Reeds are, to my mind, health-food varieties (they use honey instead of good old cane sugar) and I don't like the taste. Saranac also just came out with a good traditional one, which I might like more than Stewarts. Great cocktail: "Jim & Ginger", Jim Beam and Old Thyme. Awesome. Sun Dec 15 21:07:36 -0800 2002 1583938 0 lucia 2 1583945 BTW, some ginger beer is made through yeast fermentation and can have trace amount of alcohol, but probably not in America. Sun Dec 15 21:08:40 -0800 2002 1583944 0 lucia 2 1583958 Another great cocktail, a Dark and Stormy: Old Thyme Ginger Beer (or if you want something really, really ginger hot, Grace Ginger Beer), dark rum, ice and a squeeze of lime. So good on a cold evening. Sun Dec 15 22:39:02 -0800 2002 1583944 0 Middydd 3 1583965 Sorry, Grace Ginger Beer, according to the gracefoods.com web site, only seems to be distributed in Canada. Well, if you're ever in Canada...they usually have it at Food Basics. Mon Dec 16 00:17:16 -0800 2002 1583958 0 Middydd 3 1584052 Enjoyed lots of Dark & Stormys in Bermuda. My favorite dark rum is Goslings Black Seal from Bermuda. Mon Dec 16 16:53:04 -0800 2002 1583958 0 TomSwift 2 1583998 I like Reeds. Good ginger bite. Mon Dec 16 12:18:54 -0800 2002 1583944 0 JudiAU 1 1583951 Blenheim's. Like a slap in the face, indeed, but a wonderful alternative to the insipid Canada Dry diet I usually drink. Hard to find though. I remember liking Vernor's during my childhood in Detroit, but I haven't had one in years. Link: http://www.turnersouth.com/southern-living-presents/story/0,10907,180,00.ht Sun Dec 15 21:49:54 -0800 2002 1583938 0 Head Gazelle 2 1583952 Shoot--link doesn't work, despite cut'n'paste. My apologies. You can get to it by typing "Blenheim's ginger ale" into Google or the search engine of your choice. Sun Dec 15 21:52:56 -0800 2002 1583951 0 Head Gazelle 2 1583966 Luckily for me, the Bristol Farms chain 'round LA carries Blenheim products, so I don't have to schlep all the way to Galco's in Highland Park for my regular ginger-burn fix (though Galco's had the beer and the diet ale as well, which I don't believe Bristol Farms sells). Truly a mind-bending experience, if what you're used to is the usual mass-market ginger ale. Vernor's, which I buy in 2-liter bottles at Ralph's now and then, is 180-degrees the opposite direction, stylistically, from Blenheim's. While Blenheim's is all about the kick in the teeth of that strong ginger hit (and the many nuances therein), Vernor's seems to be all about soft, rounded edges (even more so than the mass-market ales). Not bad, in its own way, but not really comparable to Blenheim's. Mon Dec 16 01:43:22 -0800 2002 1583951 0 Mark Lee 2 1583976 gotta second the blenheim's vote. Like a slap in the face that makes you want to turn the other cheek and get another slap! Mon Dec 16 09:30:17 -0800 2002 1583951 0 smokey 2 1583983 Amen to the Blenheim's recommendation. Blenheim's and bourbon were absolutely made for each other. The sweetness of the bourbon and the heat of the Blenheim's combine to produce Nirvana! The Fairway here in NYC used to carry it, but I haven't seen it there in a while. I have had success ordering it from Blenheim's. Nothing beats actually going to a roadside store in Marlboro County S.C. and picking up a case, though. Mon Dec 16 11:19:39 -0800 2002 1583951 0 CatherineC in NYC 2 1584003 mmm Spicy Blenheim ginger ale with Old Overholt rye whiskey. sigh. Mon Dec 16 12:42:52 -0800 2002 1583951 0 LisaLou 2 1584047 Any idea where I can get this in New York anyone? I remember drinking extremely spicy ginger beer as a kid and have searched half-heartedly since then for something that sears the lips in the same pleasant way. This sounds like it may be it. Mon Dec 16 16:33:36 -0800 2002 1583951 0 BGrey 3 1584069 I don't know where you can buy it retail (wish I did), but you can get it at Kitchen/Market on 8th Ave at 21st in Manhattan, along with your burrito. Mon Dec 16 18:23:30 -0800 2002 1584047 0 Caitlin McGrath 3 1584074 The UWS Fairway has recently had Blenheim. Mon Dec 16 18:35:51 -0800 2002 1584047 0 Joe Schumacher 1 1583953 My favorite is Blenheim Ginger Ale from Blenheim, SC. Also, Tiger Brand put out by Rock Creek Beverages in the DC area. Blenheim has an Extra Hot, which is just that--super snappy. A little lime with it is quite refreshing. Sun Dec 15 21:54:33 -0800 2002 1583938 0 flavrmeistr 1 1583956 Ever try a Schendegasty (not sure of spelling) with ginger beer? It's a wonderful drink in the summer, which I tried after tennis at the Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It's simple: Cut a lime or two into slices and stir into a pitcher of ice until the circles of lime are evenly dispersed in the ice and look pretty. Pour equal parts beer and ginger beer over the pitcher of ice. Simple as that and very refreshing. Sun Dec 15 22:10:36 -0800 2002 1583938 0 Beau Noppatee 2 1583957 I have a German friend who makes a similar concoction. Carlsberg Imperial Stout, Coca Cola, lime and kirschwasser over a pitcher of ice. It's really good. Sun Dec 15 22:28:39 -0800 2002 1583956 0 flavrmeistr 2 1583971 The beer-gingerbeer combo is called a shandygaff, given to kiddies in pubs and differing slightly from the shandy, which is made with English lemonade and beer. I'm afraid it doesn't satisfy either the "real ale" drinkers or a ginger beer aficionados in my fam. Mon Dec 16 07:06:29 -0800 2002 1583956 0 lucia 1 1583960 ALL the national brands of Ginger Ale stopped using real Ginger years ago. They now use red pepper to get the tang. One exception that comes to mind is Northern Neck Ginger Ale, a small independent bottler in Virginia. Vernors may still use Ginger but personally I find it a nasty taste. Sun Dec 15 22:52:08 -0800 2002 1583938 0 FatBob 2 1583972 Polar (sold in New England, at least) makes its Golden Ginger Ale with ginger root. Mon Dec 16 08:32:37 -0800 2002 1583960 0 Karl S. 2 1584013 I am fond of Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Although I grew up in the Detroit area, I was never able to develop a liking for Vernors. In fact, I thought it was terrible. Perhaps I was too young. Are there any Vernors fans out there? Mon Dec 16 13:39:38 -0800 2002 1583960 0 Paul H 3 1584049 Love Vernors -- I buy it every time I see it (which is not so often out here in California). Mon Dec 16 16:45:38 -0800 2002 1584013 0 Mrs. Smith 2 1584451 I know, because I used to brew it. I'm not divulging any trade secrets by revealing that literally thousands of pounds of sliced ginger root are used per batch. The aroma coming out of the kettle is amazing. ---Guy Fri Dec 20 20:10:38 -0800 2002 1583960 0 Guy 1 1583988 Boylan's in NJ makes a great ginger ale, as well as other sodas. I haven't had their birch beer, but all of their other sodas are delicious without being sickly sweet or syrupy (even the creme soda is light and delicious). And they come in glass bottles with great old-school design. Mon Dec 16 11:31:40 -0800 2002 1583938 0 tedm 2 1584161 I agree. Boylan's is my favorite by far. Tue Dec 17 17:59:50 -0800 2002 1583988 0 Nick 1 1584006 call me crazy but I really love the Goya ginger beer (and it's usually 2/$100 at the grocery store). I've had fancier brands but they're either so spicy they hurt, or not spicy enough, or have a bizarre aftertaste. However, the other Goya sodas are kind of gross (esp, the champagne soda), except for coconut, which is wierd but palatable. Mon Dec 16 13:15:34 -0800 2002 1583938 0 cctc 2 1584007 oops, I mean 2/$1.00!!!!! Mon Dec 16 13:16:15 -0800 2002 1584006 0 cctc 1 1584054 My favorite ginger beer is Cock 'n Bull. I don't know if it's available outside of Southern California. Mon Dec 16 16:55:22 -0800 2002 1583938 0 TomSwift 1 1584070 Real Soda in Southern California (they ship all over) has a great selection of vintage and designer sodas. The owner is a great guy and very conversant in all of the nuances of carbonated beverages. They have several kinds of birch and ginger beer. Link: http://realsoda.com/ Mon Dec 16 18:24:23 -0800 2002 1583938 0 Slow Foodie 1 1584160 Stewart's If you want a good combo with the Ginger Beer, not Ale, try a dark and stormy. Gosling's rum and Ginger Beer with some lime. I drink it all the time, if you don't have Goslings go for Myers. Tue Dec 17 17:48:39 -0800 2002 1583938 0 Jambalaya