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I'm trying new ginger ales, since I'm not always able to run to Kentucky to re-stock my Ale-8-one lode. Recently got some Dr. Brown's. What's interesting is that I don't care for it straight--it's a bit too dry--but it's great as a mixer with rye or bourbon. Recommended.
Thanks for the tip, Chuck. I haven't had Dr. Brown's for years, but it sounds promising to me since my problem with ginger ales is that they are usually too sweet. One solution is to acquire a good ginger syrup and soda siphon and mix your own. That also allows you to fiddle with the level of sugar and water given the sweetness of the rye/bourbon you are using. I find the varying flavor of different whiskies makes it very difficult to make a one-size-fits-all recipe for any mixed drink. Same goes for gins. Vodka, of course, not at all.
-Mike
Lately, I've been drinking Vernors Ginger Soda, which, according to the can, is "a Michigan original since 1866" and reportedly is "barrel aged for three years" which they claim gives it its "bold taste." It's actually on the sweet side and could be confused with ginger-infused cream soda, so I'm not quite sure where they get the bold taste bit but it is unique. As a fan of good root beer and cream soda, I'm not bothered by its sweetness and find that it goes beautifully with Rittenhouse 80 proof, which I bought one day after failing to find any Rittenhouse BIB on the shelves at Binnys. I'm getting addicted to the Vernors and Rittenhouse combo but will soon try the Rittenhouse with Sprechers Ginger Ale, another regional favorite made by the fabulous Sprechers micro brewery in the Milwaukee area. My wife mentioned that Trader Joe's carries a Jamaican ginger beer (the name escapes me) that has a very powerful ginger flavor, so that may be worth a try too.
The other day I put one shot of Wathen's bourbon in a can of Canada Dry ginger ale, and the combination was not good - I could taste the bourbon, but in a bad way. I then added, to the same can, a shot of Old Overholt rye, and it was great. Last night I went straight for the Old Overholt with two shots and I couldn't really tell that anything had been added at all. I honestly think I could have handed it to my grandmother, the teetotaling one, and she would not have known the difference.
Has anyone else noticed a difference between rye and bourbon when added to ginger ale?
You might be thinking of Reed's Jamaican Ginger Beer which has palm trees on the label & is pretty spicy, although not nearly as good as Stewart's IMHO.Quote:
Originally Posted by unclebunk
Cotton Club Less Sweet Ginger Ale is just what it says, less sweet that Schweppes and the others. From what I can find online, it's an Ohio/PA thing but I've rarely seen it outside of Cleveland.
When I was a kid, Vernors always tasted too strong to me...like smoked ginger ale. The barrel aging was most certainly the culprit.
I picked up some Schweppes Ginger Ale last Saturday.
I mixed my Bride one with Thomas H Handy @ 127.5 proof.
She didn't notice, she wanted more,... it turned out to be a nice day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OscarV
You devil, you.............
Dr. Vernors operated a drug store in Detroit. Mixed up a batch of home remedy "brew" and stored it in either large water jugs or barrels. In 1862-63 went off to be a Doc in the Civil War. Came back and and found the jugs/barrel of the "brew" he had made 3 yeras earlier. Result, "Hello Vernors !!"Quote:
Originally Posted by unclebunk
TJ
Question - Vernors Ginger Ale or Vernors Ginger Soda?
I'm a purist, which means I shy away from cocktails. I like my whiskeys neat or with a splash of water. The one exception is the occasional rye and ginger on ice. The less hot version of Blenheim's and some Handy is pretty impressive.
Tonight I tried something I didn't think would work. I was at Ace's in DC a couple months back, and noticed they had a ginger ale I've never seen before: Buderim's Ginger Brew. It's Australian, and frankly I didn't like it. On a whim I mixed some with a Baby Saz from Julio's (an eight year barrel selection).
Very interesting. Pepper, which is part of the soda's flavor, comes out a lot more plus a tiny bit of cinnamon. Its heather and rootiness goes ok with the Saz malty-rye character. The honey becomes too pronounced, however. One surprise was the mix was very cloudy, like tan swamp water.
Not great, but different, which is good in itself.