Zevia Ginger Root Beer

I was at Fresh Thyme recently and grabbed a large can of ginger root beer:

Brand: Zevia Ginger Root Beer

Origin: Los Angeles, CA.

Purchase Place: Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market, Minneapolis, MN.

Sweetener: Stevia Leaf.

Review: My 3 other "Zevia" sodas were all just OK (receiving "average" scores of 4.5, 5, and 5.5), so I was ready for this to be just OK. I poured some out for my boys to taste, and it was CLEAR, so that was weird. It had a strange tartness (that I think is from the Stevia) that I didn't care for. I didn't taste any of the ginger flavor in it - it was just a kinda strange root beer. And it was so weak that it tasted almost like a flavored water. It didn't taste that great, and it was weak, so no thanks.

Score: 3 out of 10.
 

Sioux City Ginger Beer

I opened this in my office between classes today:

The odd thing is that the label contained hardly any more info than what's pictured above: just a barcode to the left (barely visible near the bottom of the label in that pic), and which states you can get a refund for the bottle on the right. No other info. Strange. So I got the rest of the info from Beverages Direct.


Brand: Sioux City Ginger Beer.

Origin: Whitestone, NY.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: This was pretty decent (and this coming from someone who doesn't care for ginger things). It had a good, natural bite of ginger (the kind that nearly stings the back of your throat), but then it almost finished smooth. That combo I like (a bite, but then smooth), so this was better than I figured it would be. It was like a ginger ale mixed with a slightly "thin" cola (but not in a bad way). If you are a ginger fan, check this out.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

CideRoad Organic Blueberry Switchel

I was walking through Lunds earlier today, and I saw these:

So I grabbed the blueberry one.

First of all, what is this? I had to look up "Switchel." Apparently, it's this:

Switchel, also switzel, swizzle, ginger-water, haymaker's punch or switchy, is a drink made of water mixed with vinegar, and often seasoned with ginger. Honey, sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup were sometimes used to sweeten the drink instead of molasses.

This one has water, sugar, vinegar, maple syrup, and some fruit juices (including some ginger). It's not a soda, but it's not a traditional "healthy" drink because it only has 2% of your daily allowance of Vitamin C and Calcium. It is labeled as 14% juice. So what the heck is it? Well... it's switchel, I guess.


Brand: CideRoad Organic Blueberry Switchel.

Origin: Mendham, NJ.

Purchase Place: Lunds Grocery Store, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Syrup and Maple Syrup.

Review: I don't think I've mentioned this here before, but I'm not a fan of kombucha. I can't stand it. My wife loves it, so it's around a lot. Well, this is a bit like a "tame" kombucha. The "tang" that this CideRoad drink has is kombucha-like, but not as overly harsh. I can taste the ginger, but it's not overwhelming. The blueberry is nice. If a "tame" kombucha sounds good to you, give this a try. It would be refreshing for the right person. I just thought it was OK.

Score: 5 out of 10.
 

Americana Honey Lime Ginger Ale

I enjoyed this with lunch yesterday:

Brand: Americana Honey Lime Ginger Ale

Origin: Mukilteo, WA.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: I'm not the BIGGEST fan of the hardcore BITE produced by a good ginger ale. But the honey and lime cut through that powerful bite in this soda. It was one of the most interesting ginger ales I've ever had, and the flavor combination was fantastic. There's still just too much bite in the back of my throat from the ginger, but it was one of the best ginger ales I've had.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Bedford's Ginger Beer

I was in the mood for something "spicy," so I cracked into this:

Brand: Bedford's Ginger Beer.

Origin: Port Angeles, WA.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: The first thing I like to do with a ginger soda is to check the ingredients list: this had "brewed ginger root" on the list, so I was ready for a BITE. And for a guy who doesn't care for ginger beers that much, I thought this was pretty good. It had a smooth (almost creamy) initial flavor, and then each sip ended with a BIG KICK of ginger that almost stings the back of your throat. That big kick is usually why I stay away from ginger sodas, but this was alright.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Anchor Ginger Root Beer

I didn't know what I'd think about a "ginger root beer," but this was pretty good.

Brand: Anchor Ginger Root Beer.

Origin: Mukilteo, WA.

Purchase Place: Frattallones Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: I was afraid there would be too "sharp" of a ginger bite to this, but the ginger flavor was subtle. It almost tasted like a birch beer. The root beer was pretty smooth, but the ginger added a gentle bite. For something that could have been horrible, this was quite good. It's worth a try if you're a "ginger" and a "root beer" fan.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Joia Blackberry Pomegranate & Ginger Soda

This sounded a little strange, but they're a local company that I WANT to like, and the first kinda strange sounding soda that I had of theirs was actually pretty good. So I gave this a try this past weekend:

Brand: Joia Blackberry Pomegranate & Ginger Soda.

Origin: Minneapolis, MN.

Purchase Place: Lunds Grocery Store, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: It's got a pretty strong and unique flavor. It's a little strange, but still drinkable. Barely. My wife said it tasted a little like perfume (and I can see what she means). All of the flavors can be tasted: blackberry, pomegranate, and ginger. It's a bit sharp with very little smoothness. It has a bit of a bite from the ginger. Not a very tasty soda.

Score: 4 out of 10.