August 2, 2008
May 1, 2007
Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages – “made in maine made in maine”
From too much driving – or too much singing along with the radio when it’s on *scan* – events on the road become both hazy and seemingly improbable to me. I hesitate to use the word “dreamlike”, but…
The usual, rural, random gas station/mini mart (here) sells a locally-produced fresh lemonade in glass bottles. [Oh, and kataifi. WTF?]
A totally hippied-out VEGAN restaurant in a place that, to me, closely resembles the middle of nowhere (HERE!) sells fucking seitan sandwiches, lemon/TVP burgers, and tofu lasagna!!!?!?!?!
How can you miss it when you’re just tooling along some snowdrifty backroad, approaching some smalltown junction, and a giant sign with the words “RADICAL VEGAN FOODS” appears before your eyes?
See what I’m saying?
Anyway, they vend some regional hippie sodas at Susty’s Vegan Café in BFE, New Hampshire…
Pretty good, I must reluctantly admit. And from Maine. In case you didn’t work that out.
I need sleep.
February 20, 2006
Squamscot Old Fashioned Beverages – “Established 1863”
The best. Look at their distribution center!
I got a six pack of Squamscot Soda at a “rest stop” (snack food store next to a Liquor Barn)
just where the MA turnpike turns into the NH turnpike. Struck goooooollllllld.
Squamscot is a small, family-owned bottler based in Newfields, NH. I have no idea where that is. I do know that they make some of the best soda on the East Coast. The Conner family started out by making SPRUCE BEER in 1863. Read all about it HERE.
The Pale Dry Ginger Ale was just that. Real cane sugar and a (thankfully) noticeable ginger taste.
The Ginger Beer was darker and wonderfully strong.
I can’t recommend this stuff more highly. Please buy it if you can!
Comes in a crate.
August 23, 2005
Stoney Ginger Beer – “Soft Drink” PLUS & misc. etc.
I went on a little trip to The Republic of Indian Stream and I brought back such an obviously too-heavy bag full of soda/liquor bottles, that nice people kept offering to carry it for me. One guy finally insisted, so I let him carry it. Almost pulled his arm off. He said he used to sell powertools for a living, and that my suitcase was heavier than his merchandise samples ever were. :-D
I didn’t import everything that I saw. Only the good ones. Here’s some of more boring/bad drinks I tried:
Stoney Ginger Beer. Made by Coca~Cola South Africa, it’s surprising to find that this stuff is actually HOT. Certainly one of the ugliest cans around, though:
Full Throttle Energy Drink. Another Coke product. 473ml/141mg caffeine. Worth it?
7up PLUS Mixed Berry. Frankendrink with added juice (5%) added calcium (10% RDA) and added vitamin C (10% RDA). Also added Splenda® and added Sunett® (who the fuck ever heard of Sunett®?!?) sweeteners. Do they care if no one drinks this? Certainly this is the worst soda spin-off idea yet. Really terrible.
Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper W T F? Why?
Limca. Mysterious Limca. Ginger? Citrus? Nutmeg? Who knows?! Indians & Pakistanis think twice before repatriating when they learn that Limca is hard to get in the New World.
Dasani (water) With Lemon. Very rarely do I stumble upon something so completely undrinkable. Possibly one of the worst bottled beverages ever produced. Did they not test this stuff on real people at all? Sucralose nightmare! Sweetened water plus citric acid! Ack.
July 15, 2005
Stewart’s Original Ginger Beer – “Old-Fashioned, Spicy Ginger Ale”
I think it tastes very good. But it was suppose to be hot but it was not. Until it got in my eye!
Hanna E.
May 31, 2005
Golden Cockerel Inn Old English Ginger Beer – “__________”
I know an old lady who, when you visit her home, proudly serves already-opened cans of Canada Dry Ginger Ale. If that’s not an endorsement I don’t know what is, but I still really dislike that flavorless stuff. I wonder if Canada Dry was ever good? Isn’t it possible that in the first half of the 20th century it still tasted like real ginger ale? Maybe it’s Cadbury-Schweppes’ fault? Probably.
I just discovered that Cadbury Beverages/Canada Dry produces a comparatively more authentic ginger drink, called Golden Cockerel Inn Old English Ginger Beer. Much more ginger bite, and with actual “natural flavours” ! Don’t get me wrong – it’s not great – lots of glucose-fructose to be had, but even in its compromised state it is still superior to the now-parent product, Canada Dry.
However, this is what one might call a “ghost-town soda”: a former regional beverage bought-up by a larger producer and/or competitor, but still propped up and produced on an extremely limited basis. For what reason? I don’t know! As far as I can tell, this drink has no fans – past or present. How obscure is this Golden Cockerel now? Weirdly so. Try finding pics on the internet. I called Cadbury-Schweppes, and THREE ‘customer relations representatives’ claimed they had never heard of it. I called the local bottler and asked over and over again “WHERE IS THE GOLDEN COCKEREL INN?”. They have no idea where it is. They did mention that they produce Golden Cockerel only in the summer. Apparently it is only distributed to small, out-of-the-way corner markets. That’s where I found mine! Strange…
^ Here you can find on old, pre-Canada Dry can of Golden Cockerel in a police line up. It’s the only pic I could find.
February 4, 2004
Cock ‘n Bull Ginger Beer – “Since 1946″
Served in the famous Hollywood restaurant, etc. etc. etc.
Great as a mixer – and a “spicy flavor”, etc. etc. etc.
There are better ginger drinks out there.
This one just has a cool label -
which they’ve recently changed from the one shown above.
So what is my motivation?
Hm.
January 13, 2004
Bundaberg Ginger Beer – “Genuinely Old Recipe”
I guess that it’s not so shocking to find a (widely distributed)
ginger beer from Australia, as it is to find that Bundaberg
is a large city in Queensland.
Who ever heard of it?
This is a very good ginger beer in a cute, 375ml. bottle.
Made with brewer’s yeast and cane sugar! Good for them!
…All of that is very interesting, but Bundaberg’s
comes with this unusual cap – that looks like this
(while in motion):
It has it’s own website!
http://www.ripcap.com/
October 6, 2003
AJ Stephans Jamaican Style Ginger Beer – “Pure Sugar & Pure Water”
A.J. Stephan’s Jamaican Style Ginger Beer is from Boston and is pretty fair, but not outstanding.
Their slogan emphasizes one of their ginger beer’s best attributes: Sugar.
As even the most remedial soda fanatic will tell you, corn syrup – and high or low fructose anything – can ruin the best drink.
This is not some sort of in-group specialized knowledge, or a badge of the true soda drinker.
Sugar imparts a completely different and distinctly more subtle flavor on a soda.
Also, a better “aftertaste”.
This ginger beer has a pretty decent spiciness – but a really good sugary flavor.
355 ml. bottle
