November 27, 2019
Chicago Draft Style Ginger Beer | A Review
Chicago produces a few different ginger beers but none hoist their origin as proudly as Chicago Draft Style sodas. The city is their identity and they’re not shy about it. “Made in Chicago by Chicago for Chicago” goes their slogan but lucky for those not residing in the Windy City, a few bottles make their way elsewhere.
But it wasn’t always about bottles. Chicago Draft Style first appeared in kegs back in 2006 but generated so many requests for individual servings that a plan for bottling materialized. Delivering them to their destination became the next obstacle. Founder Bill Daker approached several beer distributors with zero luck so he did what had to be done. He added some sales people to the team, bought a truck and drove the bottles anywhere they needed to go, which nowadays means all over Chicago and the surrounding area.
Those bottles are brown-glass, 12oz, softly curved long necks adorned with an unusually low-slung label. The ginger beer label gets a golden background with a slightly metallic sheen. Search lights scan the skies, framing the Willis Tower. A retro look offers some personality. The goal was to shout that this is a Chicago product and that can be counted as mission accomplished.
The 190-calorie liquid flows from the bottle a rich amber color, with no cloudiness, and wafts a scent that’s softly sweet but also with a nose-prickling spiciness. An easy sweetness greets the tongue first. Then the ginger comes on accompanied by a crescendo of heat that adheres to the tongue and roof of the mouth. The earthiness of the ginger presents itself before a sweet and spicy finish. The heat sticks around, spreading to the lips and top of the throat.
The centerpiece of this ginger beer is the heat. The amount of ginger flavor present doesn’t seem enough to produce this level of heat which then feels almost like a solo act because there’s not a similar intensity of sweetness either. But it works. The cumulative effect tastes pleasant and feels nice to drink, even though it can’t be called perfectly balanced.
Bearing the name Chicago makes this ginger beer a de facto representative of the Windy City. It carries that mantle well. It’s a solid take on a traditional formula and Chicagoans should be glad to have it.
Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable
Purchased at: Beverages Direct (in 6-packs and 12-packs) | Also available online at: Specialty Sodas
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