The Soda Jerk – Ginger Ale Part 3

So for this new entry in my ginger series, I am tackling a bottle of COCK N’ BULL GINGER BEER…in fact, I am drinking as I am typing (actually, I alternate between drinking and typing). Let me start with this simple statement: I absolutely love Cock n’ Bull!

So what makes this a ginger “beer” instead of a ginger “ale”? Actually, it’s not a true ginger beer. It’s a ginger ale (carbonated water flavored with ginger), but my guess is that it has such a strong ginger flavor that the term “beer” is used. A true ginger beer is brewed/fermented, though it does not have to necessarily have to be alcoholic. I have made my own ginger ale that might be considered a ginger beer, since there is not carbonated water involved, but yeast provides carbonation. But I sidetrack myself.

So what’s Cock n’ Bull like? To paraphrase a classic Simpson’s episode, it’s like there’s a party on my tongue, and everybody’s invited! Unlike the last two gingers (Americana and Boylan’s, both available at the Klassic Arcade), Cock n’ Bull attacks your tongue from the moment it leaves the bottle, like a bunch of little ginger pieces clawing onto your tongue and not letting go! Yeah, you could say it has a sharp flavor.Ginger overload, and it is so good! I find it so sharp, that the vapors coming off your tongue can sometimes tickle the throat.

Cock n’ Bull is as good with the last swallow out of the bottle as the first. The aftertaste on my tongue is like a piece of ginger-flavored candy, coexisting with the lingering bite. That’s what I really love most about Cock n Bull, a razor-sharp ginger taste that stays with you. 

Try a bottle of Cock n’ Bull Ginger Beer next time you’re at the Klassic Arcade…it will be a taste treat for your mouth!

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The Soda Jerk – Ginger Ale Part 2

So why do I love ginger ale so much? One word – refreshing! Ginger ales are never heavy or syrupy. They are instead very light and crisp, which is probably why I prefer them in the summer versus the winter.

And gingers are not even my favorite flavor! Just wait until I sing the praises of root beer and orange cream soda pops (mmmmm….orange cream!)

So after I threw back some pizza rolls (because I make wise decisions, that’s why), I decided to have a bottle of BOYLAN’S GINGER ALE (which, coincidentally, can be found at the Klassic Arcade, along with several other flavors of Boylan’s). I poured the bottle into my frozen Klassic Arcade glass mug (which can also be purchased at the arcade for only $5, with $1 refills of our draft root beer for life!) that I keep handy. Now I really like every flavor of Boylan’s I’ve ever had, and Ginger Ale is no different.The one word that I think best describes the bottle I had would be…”crisp”.

BOYLAN’S GINGER ALE is not too heavily flavored, it does not have the “bite” that some other gingers have. Instead, it has an elegantly simple pure ginger taste. It is made with cane sugar, and the flavoring consists of ginger, lemon, and lime oils. Clearly the ginger oil is the dominant one. It pours almost clear, with just a slight ginger color to it. On a sunny day, it tasted nearly perfect!

So I can highly recommend that the next time you’re out at the Klassic Arcade and a thirst comes on you, crack open a bottle of BOYLAN’S GINGER ALE (we do ask that you pay for it first). You’ll be glad you did.

Join me tomorrow when I have another brand of ginger ale with the grilled New York strip steak dinner I’ll be having…I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say about it!

The Soda Jerk – Ginger Ale, Part 1

Whether it’s Ginger ALE or Ginger BEER (don’t worry parents, it’s not alcoholic!), it’s an extremely refreshing beverage in the warm summer weather. Granted, we haven’t had a whole lot of summer weather in SW Michigan, but that does not take away from it’s gingery goodness. Heck, being a fan of Alton Brown’s classic show “Good Eats,” I have for the last several summers even made my own ginger ale to enjoy on those hot summer days.

In other words, I absolutely love a good ginger ale.

Now, I need to preface this series of posts with the following information (still a source of tension between me and my wife): while I like it, I do not consider Vernor’s to be a real ginger ale (It’s more of a ginger cream soda), so it will not be included in my discussion on ginger ale.

So the discussion begins today with my thoughts on AMERICANA HONEY LIME GINGER ALE. It’s ingredient list is simple enough: carbonated water, cane sugar, extracts of lime and ginger, organic honey, and a couple other standard ingredients. Carbonated water flavored with ginger is the mark of ginger ale (vs. ginger beer).

So how was it? For me, it is not one of my favorite gingers that the Klassic Arcade sells, but it is a bit different than most gingers, and that’s because of the lime. Honestly, I could not tell that there was any honey involved. I could tell there was a bit of lime involved, which provides an interesting counterpoint to ginger’s sharpness. The lime is not strong enough to take away the innate ginger flavor, but for several minutes after drinking, it’s the lime that remained dominant in the aftertaste (again, I couldn’t sense any honey).

This is a solid ginger ale, worth it if you want something a little different or like knowing that real can sugar is involved. You can get AMERICANA HONEY LIME GINGER ALE for $1.75 at the arcade, in the middle of the five cooler sections.

I have four more bottles of gingers, just begging me to drink them and discuss their virtues. And I am more than willing! Be back soon with thoughts about another ginger.