I have noticed something new on a list of things that, like many that some of us of a certain age grew up knowing, may be going away. I’m talking about ginger ale.
Whether you’re the Canada Dry, Schweppes or Seagram’s type, we grew up with ginger ale as a choice of carbonated soda other than the popular trio of Coke/Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Seven-Up. The golden drink over ice was often employed to settle upset stomachs, because ginger is a known help for this ailment. In recent years, the Canada Dry people have stressed that they use real ginger in their ginger ale (as of 2018, this is not the case, as evidenced by a lawsuit about the company over its ingredients). Unfortunately, the soda is also known for its high sugar content, and some brands use artificial flavor.
The substitute we see most often today is ginger beer, which is a more fermented product and has a sharper taste. Both use some form of fermentation, according to sources, but ginger beer will have a slightly higher alcoholic content by nature of its brewing method. This may explain why the popularity has soared: people want something with alcohol in it (even if it doesn’t need to be sold at the wine and spirits counter). And yes, it still helps calm upset tummies.
I have had trouble finding real ginger ale. Besides the gold standard from up north, a brand called Fever Tree is also a natural version in a bottle. The problem is, the ginger beer is on the shelves, while the ginger ale isn’t.
I did find a brand called Q in a can which is quite pleasant, but I’m down to my last two cans.
In a world of crazy colors and combinations, the lowly mixer may be just another victim of being too ordinary when compared to the promise of drinking something with “beer” in its name.
Since I’m not particularly fond of beer, I guess I must make some effort to seek the holy ale.
I’ll see myself out.
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