Reed's Extra Ginger Brew

I'm  a big believer in the healing properties of ginger.  Not only does it soothe nausea, prevent motion sickness better than Dramamine, it is an anti-inflamatory that can help rheumatoid arthritis and menstrual cramps.  It is also yummy.

After several days of Paschal celebrations my belly was definitely in need of some soothing, and I picked up some Reed's Extra Ginger Brew.  Because if some ginger is good, extra ginger is better.

To start with, I like my ginger beers quite spicy.  This ginger isn't terribly strong, it is there but it won't leave your mouth burning.  It is sweeter rather than bite-y.  There is also a strong fruity aftertaste, probably from the pineapple juice as again, it is sweet rather than sour.  Nice amount of carbonation.

This is not my favorite ginger beer, but good in a pinch.

From the label:



Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew is the same recipe as Original Ginger Brew, but has 26 grams of fresh ginger root for a stronger bite.

Ingredients: Sparkling Filtered Water (Sweetened by a blend of raw cane sugar, pineapple juice from concentrate and honey), Fresh Ginger Root, Lemon and Lime Juices from concentrate and spices. Non Alcoholic. Free of Preservatives, Caffeine, Gluten & GMO’s.

Thums Up

On a slightly chilly April afternoon we decided to check out the one-year anniversary party of a gluten-free brewery called Burning Brothers.  Don't let the gluten-free part scare you, this is beer the glutenous and the gluten-free can enjoy. But you can't have the Orange-Blossom Honey- that stuff's mine.  And better yet,  they are dog-friendly (PSA- don't give your dog beer.)

Of course, drinking on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster whether or not it has gluten or not, and, being the well-prepared sorts of folk they are, a food-truck set up shop right outside, filled with tasty Indian offerings (also gluten-free).

I noticed they had Thum's Up, an Indian soda I have heard of but never had the chance to try.  Nowadays, Thum's Up is distributed by Hindustan Coca-Cola, but it was originally introduced and produced in India when Coca Cola pulled out of the market.  When Coca-Cola returned to India, they bought out Thum's Up thinking to discontinue it in favor of Coke.  But Thum's Up is far, far more popular than they realized, and decided if you can't beat 'em, profit off of 'em, and thusly Coca-Cola produces it.  Fortunately, they didn't Americanize it, so Thum's Up is still made with real cane sugar.  And alot of sugar it is!

Taste wise, it is definitely a Cola, but with a little hint of something cinnamon. Sweet, but considering the amount of sugar it isn't overpowering.  I recommend it!

Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Sugar, Acidity Regulators (330, 331), Preservative (211). Contains Added Flavours (Natural Flavouring Substances). Contains no Fruit.

Lakefront Brewery Golden Maple Root Beer

If you're ever in Milwaukee, a really fun city, you have to take the Lakefront Brewery Tour.  It is about as "Milwaukee" you can get without a real German pedigree.  They give you tons of samples on the tour, you get to see some great Brewers memorabilia, and you even get to sing the Laverne and Shirley theme song.  Make sure you go on a Friday and stay for the real Milwaukee Fish Fry (accept no imitations that will serve you French Fries- this is the real deal with potato pancakes, rye bread, and live polka music.)

It was on this tour I was first given Lakefront's Golden Maple Root Beer.  At the time I wasn't much of a beer drinker, and was delighted to get something I would actually enjoy!  Since I was such an enthusiast, they generously gave me several bottles.

Alas, my first sampling was not good.  Slightly flat, there was almost no root beer flavor at all.  You couldn't really taste much of anything other than a hint of vanilla.

Fast forward several years, I was at a beer festival and had hit my limit for that day.  Lo and behold, the lovely folks at the Lakefront booth had a whole cooler full of Golden Maple Root Beer!  Desperate times called for desperate measures.  With shaky hands, I opened my bottle, prepared for the worst...and it was good!

The first time I had the root beer must have been a fluke bad batch.  To test it again, I had another bottle completely sober, and it was still good!    Nicely carbonated, good rich mouthfeel, it has a hint of rootbeer/wintergreen more dominated by vanilla and the sweet tanginess of the maple.

Ingredients:carbonated water, pure cane sugar, pure Wisconsin maple syrup, caramel color, natural root beer flavor, gum acacia, preservatives – sodium benzoate, potassium sulfate