Ginger Beer
Olde Tyme:
By far the best I have tasted so far. This brand comes in a brown, longneck bottle, with the qualifier that it is Jamacian Style.
Immediately upon removing the cap, you can smell the scent of ginger. The light golden liquid has a definite fizz of carbonation, but not to the level
of a seltzer. Although somewhat on the sweet side, this brand packs a sharp bite of ginger. One taste, and your mouth is flooded with the sensation of
ginger. This is definitely not a weak and sickly ginger ale. The ginger has a high enough concentration to overpower the weakest tastebuds. If you don't
like your food on the spicy side, best give this one a miss. The ginger level in Olde Tyme tends to make your whole mouth tingle. I find it the perfect
complement to Indian curries.
Idris (Traditional Style):
Included for completeness, this will be difficult for most in the US to obtain. It is a product of the UK and can be
found all over the British Isles. I even managed to find it in an Indian grocery in Hamburg, Germany. Idris has a cutting sweetness that complements the
bite of the ginger. However, I have recently tried Idris again and found it weaker than I remember, with both the level of sweetness and bite of ginger
reduced. The Idris I remember came in a tan colored can. The present can I obtained from a local import store came in a reddish-brown can. Perhaps Idris
has more than one style, as does Reeds, but in either case, it still satisfies.
Souix City:
A pleasent combination of sweetness and ginger spicyness. However, it lacks the fire of Olde Tyme. The sweetness level is thankfully low,
so that it flows smoothly in the mouth. No scent of ginger is evident upon opening the bottle. The ginger flavor is present, however, it does not come out
with the first swallow. Rather, only after the soda is swallowed does the ginger flavor become evident. It seems to build on the back and sides of the tounge
and roof of the mouth, giving the familiar ginger burn, but only a weak flavor is evident. Souix City Ginger Beer is packaged in short 12 oz. brown bottles
with an embossed eagle inside a triangle.
Reed's Ginger Beer (Jamacian Style):
To be reviewed soon.
Reed's Ginger Beer (Extra Ginger):
To be reviewed soon.
Schwepes Ginger Beer:
This brand is also primarily limited to the British Isles. It appears to be produced for the masses and seems to consist of a
marginal reworking of their Ginger Ale. Although the Ginger Beer does have more of a bite than the Ginger Ale, there is very little of the ginger fire
evident in the soda. The carbonation level is a bit too high and the sweetness level is likewise above what is necessary. If you definitely cannot handle
alot of spicyness but want to try something different then Schwepes is fine, otherwise, stick to Ginger Ale.