March 18, 2020
Sprecher Ginger Beer | A Review
In 1985, craft beer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin didn’t exist. A brewery license hadn’t been issued in the city since Prohibition. Then Randy Sprecher, a recently laid-off Supervisor of Brewing Operations for Pabst, spent the money he saved while employed there to round up enough equipment to craft beer of his own right there in the suburb of Glendale. The Sprecher Brewery was born.
But why stop at beer? Randy began brewing many years before, after his return from military service in Germany. He was as versatile as he was knowledgeable and so in 1988 added brewed sodas to the company’s repertoire. Root beer and cream soda were first off the line but a ginger beer followed later.
Sprecher ginger beer rests in a 12oz. brown-glass, long-neck bottle with a defined curve at the shoulder. An ombre paints the label’s background, yellow to orange to brown, highlighting the roaring lion crest at its center. Oddly, metal-look edges border the top and bottom, complete with screws. Old English type makes up the logo sitting above the crest. The design conjures thoughts of Germany, sitting at long wooden tables with cold mugs in hand.
Carbonated water leads the ingredient list as expected with glucose syrup acting as sweetener. Real ginger and natural flavors make up the taste, along with citric acid. Sodium benzoate keeps this 150-calorie beverage tasting fresh.
Pouring into a mug generates a generous fizz and even an ephemeral head which hangs on for a handful of seconds before dissipating. The liquid is a light, transparent golden hue with a nose of twining sweet and ginger. Sweetness touches the tongue straight off, preceding the advent of the ginger. The ginger amplifies in strength building to a startling strike of sour, nested in botanical notes. Heat settles mid-tongue, depositing a trail of prickles. It’s sharp, above average. The sour-ginger medley fades through the finish with the sour hanging on long after.
The label cries, “Craft soda with a bite,” and this one’s all teeth. The astonishing arrival of the sour marks the most memorable moment of the progression. It’s the climax of an unusual flavor profile that’s initially objectionable but soon grows on you. Daring describes this wholly original ginger beer, the type of flavor that generates opinions. It’s certainly not for everyone but it does have its merits. There’s an ocean of competitors out there and in its vast reaches Sprecher’s divisive punch will not be forgotten.
Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable
Purchased at: Beverages Direct, though it’s no longer available there. | Also available online at: Sprecher, Antiqology
Back to: All Reviews
Recent Comments