Tasting Notes
Flavors: Can be spicy and sweet
Mouthfeel: Crisp
Food complements: Roasted nuts, Lemon, Lime, Salads, Sushi
Beverage complements: Scotch, Whiskey, Vodka, Orange juice
Substitutes: Lemon-lime sodas
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: Read ingredients! Use of artificial sweeteners is no good. All natural can juice or other form of sugar is ok in moderation. Stevia is a great zero calorie choice if you can find it.
Buying: Natural food stores have the best selection of brands like Reed's, Hansens, and Zevia.
Procuring: Ginger ale commonly contains ginger, sugar, and carbonated water. Ginger ale can also contain yeast when carbonated with natural fermentation. Ginger content is often listed on labels in a general natural aroma or natural flavoring statement, to preserve secrecy of the complex proprietary mix of spices, fruits and other flavors used. Lemon, lime and cane sugar are the most common of ingredients. Pineapple and honey are also occasional ingredients.
Preparation and Use
It is popular in mixed drinks, especially in non-alcoholic mixed drinks. It is sometimes used as a non-alcoholic substitute for champagne, since the beverages resemble each other in appearance.
Ginger ale is an ingredient in many mixed drinks and can be mixed with most hard liquors, beer and wine. Ginger ale is said to mix well with everything.
Cleaning: Does not need cleaning as ginger ale; any cleaning is done as it is being processed from separate ingredients and into ginger ale.
Conserving and Storing
cool and dry storage until ready to chill
Social/Political
History: Golden ginger ale, dark colored and strong flavored, is the older style. The drink came from Eastern Europe,[citation needed] where it has been known for centuries, and became popular in the United States during the Prohibition era when dry ginger ale was used as a mixer for alcoholic beverages as the strong flavor of golden ginger ale was undesirable. Dry ginger ale quickly surpassed golden ginger ale in popularity, and today, golden ginger ale is an uncommon, and usually regional, drink.
