Favorite brand of ginger ale?

[Liberal Veteran]

I've settled on Canada Dry, but I wonder if anyone can recommend a better one. Store brands welcome (except Kroger....tried that one and it tasted more like lemon-lime soda than ginger ale).

[pipi_k]

1. I've always liked Schweppes n/t

[Betty88]

48. +1

[Ptah]

2. Vernor's

[sarge43]

6. There is no other

Can produce belches that mimic Superior ore boats and shatter basement windows. Snort it through your nose and your eyeballs explode

Especially good in a vanilla ice cream float

[madinmaryland]

13. I haven't had that in years! Loved it. Haven't seen it here in Maryland.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. Yes, Vernor's. Preferably with a glob of ice cream floating in it.

Now I'm thirsty ...

[AsahinaKimi]

40. bingo !

I love that Vernor's has a bite. However, when I visited Scotland, They had a amazing "Ginger Beer" over there. I wish I could recall the name of it. But it doesn't matter, cause I will never find it here in the States.

[likesmountains 52]

36. yup..

[woodsprite]

51. Me too!!! But I can find it in Delaware :( n/t

[Denninmi]

3. OK, actually, I can drink Canada Dry.

Vernor's is hyped here, our "hometown brand" in Detroit.

Problem was, every time I was sick as a kid, out came the Vernor's. So, if someone wants to make me nauseous, just let me get a little whiff of Vernor's.

But hey, I can sing "Oh, Canada" when I have to.

[antiquie]

4. Reed's Jamaican Extra Ginger Beer

from Trader Joe's. Best I've had.

[HopeHoops]

11. Ginger beer is a totally different animal.

[Major Nikon]

24. Not always

I've seen products sold as ginger beer that had zero alcohol content and were essentially the same as ginger ale. I've also made ginger ale at home using a yeast fermentation method to carbonate the water. This would essentially make the result ginger beer, but the alcohol content is so low you can give it to kids. Traditional ginger beer has an alcohol content about the same as regular beer, but it's pretty hard to find it.

[HopeHoops]

42. No, I was referring to the non-alcoholic type like "Jamaica Jack's"

You can always add your own booze.

[antiquie]

27. from HuffPo

The Difference

The big difference between ginger beer and ginger ale is that ginger beer is brewed (fermented) but ginger ale is just carbonated water that's been flavored with ginger. Today's brewed ginger beers are categorized as non-alcoholic drinks because their alcohol content is less than 0.5 percent, which meets FDA requirements. Since ginger beers are naturally fermented, they have less carbonation and often develop a beer-like head when poured into a glass. Some ginger beers are sold unfiltered and appear cloudy, so it's recommended the bottle be inverted before drinking to reincorporate any separation.

However, the difference isn't so clear cut anymore. Many small soda companies like Reed's naturally brew both their ginger beers and ginger ales. And some large-scale soda companies that still produce ginger beer actually make it by adding a stronger ginger flavor to carbonated water. So really the difference becomes merely one of taste.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/20/ginger-ale-vs-ginger-beer_n_1438420.html

[HopeHoops]

43. And then there's Moxie (yes, they still make it and yes, I still drink it).

[antiquie]

44. Moxie is new to me

but I just read it is the original elixir.
At $9 a bottle now, it should be fit for gods.

[HopeHoops]

45. Oh bullshit. I can get a 12 pack of cans for $4.00.

[antiquie]

46. Glad to hear it.

Is it an Eastcoast drink?

[HopeHoops]

47. I think New York. Not sure. I'll check one of the boxes in the recycling bin later and report back

[hifiguy]

49. Moxie was available in MN when I was a kid

and I grew strangely habituated to it. Impossible to describe the taste, IIRC. I get a hankering for a Moxie every now and then to this day.

[HopeHoops]

50. "impossible to describe the taste" is exactly right. NOTHING else tastes like that.

Perhaps that's why I'm addicted to it.

[WCGreen]

5. Siegrams...

Because they made it to stand up to Bourbon.

[sharp_stick]

14. Sure

but what kind of an animal would mix Bourbon and Ginger-Ale?

Reminds me of the time when my little brother stole my 16 year old Scotch and mixed it with Grape Crush to take to a party. I still haven't forgiven him for it and he's now 40.

[WCGreen]

17. Siegrams makes a great ginger ale...

[Major Nikon]

25. Lots of people do. It's a highball called a Presbyterian

[sharp_stick]

29. And just like

real Presbyterian's it sounds terrible and totally unwelcome. (jk)

[MiddleFingerMom]

8. Canada Dry was the "go-to-guy" when I was sick as a child. Now it's too sweet/bland.

.
.
.
Most ginger beers are too savory/spicy/HOT.
.
.
.
Cola and Vernor's ginger ale were all they served at Detroit Tigers' games when I was
a kid... and BOY, did Vernor's suck.
.
.
.
Now, I love it!!! When I'm feeling bold, I'll put my nostrils RIGHT over a freshly-opened
container, SNIFF, and try not to wince/sneeze.
.
.
.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
.
.
.

[Odd Won Out]

9. Canada Dry

I like to switch to other brands occasionally when I get tired of the sweetness of Canada Dry. Schweppes is a close second place.

[HopeHoops]

10. Vernor's - no contest.

[libodem]

12. I don't know about the favorite

But I tried to drink some icky fancy organic pop from the health food store that tasted like a fresh bite of ginger root. OMG it was gross!!!!

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Stewart's is up there. Easiest to find in the Northeast, some other places.

D&G Jamaican Ginger Beer is ... an experience.

Locally, we have Buffalo Rock, an extra-spicy ginger ale -- very hard to find, even locally.

[Tom Ripley]

18. I like Canada Dry for every day, but Blenheim Ginger Ale is phenomenal

[hifiguy]

19. Seagram's or Canada Dry

are perfectly OK.

I miss the Cliquot Club ginger ale that was around when I was a kid. I always got as much as I wanted when I was sick.

[grasswire]

20. I like to put ginger ale in the freezer for an hour or more before drinking

...to the point where it is slightly slushy. So cold, so gooood.

And I like to drink it with chinese food.

And sometimes I grate some fresh ginger over the cup just before drinking.

[ohiosmith]

21. Gotta go with CD!

[Kali]

22. I would like to know why Safeway now charges more for that, tonic, and club soda.

Used to be in the soda aisle, same price as their colas and other flavors. Now those three are over by the booze as "mixers" (la dee dah) and cost 20 cents more. - and for the soda water that is just ludicrous - should be LESS than the sweetened stuff!

[avebury]

23. Canada Dry nt

[greendog]

26. Blue Sky Ginseng Jamaican

[antiquie]

28. Good choice

Schweppes Ginger Ale contains high fructose corn syrup
Canada Dry Ginger Ale contains high fructose corn syrup
Seagram's Ginger Ale contains high fructose corn syrup

Reeds Ginger Brews and Blue Sky products do not...

[handmade34]

30. does this count?

[bigwillq]

31. Canada Dry (nt)

[Motown_Johnny]

32. Raised on Vernors, nothing else tastes right to me.

[marmar]

33. There's only one proper answer for a Michigander -- Vernors.

nt

[BrendaBrick]

34. Canada Dry

[gollygee]

35. I'm from Michigan

so Vernor's

[Denninmi]

37. I'm apparently the only Michigan traitor on this forum!

[Populist_Prole]

38. Blenheim. VERY strong, almost hot.

I kid you not, if you've never had it before and take a big swig you will let out an involuntary, loud and resounding Aaaaaaagggghhhhhhhh!!

Then you develop a taste for it and learn to sip it.

From SC but available throughout the Piedmont of NC/SC if you look hard enough.

[TrogL]

39. Canada Dry

[T_i_B]

41. 2 options....

Best alcoholic ginger beer is Marble Ginger, Marble being one of the UK's best breweries.

Best non-alcoholic ginger beer is Fentiman's.