October 2, 2019
Jackson Hole Soda Jackson Ginger | A Review
A charming and quaint little town in western Wyoming, Jackson sits in the Jackson Hole valley, nestled in the thickly forested Teton mountain range near the border with Idaho. Though a tiny town of only around ten thousand people, Jackson boasts year round outdoor activities including easy access to Grand Teton National Park where visitors come to hike and climb and ski. Yellowstone rests north of that, with the two parks separated by only ten miles at their closest points. Jackson may hold few citizens but the vacationing population is formidable. Tourism spending in the county reached a billion dollars for the years 2000-2016, making unique products an attractive enterprise.
Enter Jackson Hole Soda Company. Founded in 2002, they serve a line of Old-West-inspired soft drinks anchored by the likes of root beer and sarsaparilla but stretching into more niche fare like strawberry rhubarb and huckleberry. Each carries a clever name inspired by the region and its history, like Grand Teton Grape or Cowboy Cream Soda, and each bottle features an endearing period photograph that’s just a bit whimsical.
There’s a giant hat on the head of a mounted cowboy in the photo on bottles of Jackson Ginger with its peak blending perfectly into the string of jagged mountains rising behind. Badges adorn the top two corners and a field of green stretches across the background, meant to look like aged paper. Besides the appeal of the photo, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about, design-wise. Elements look tacked-on and don’t integrate together well, looking like a collection of separate pieces that aren’t on speaking terms.
The label tells you nothing about the company besides its name. No specific location is given for bottling or headquarters, only the patriotic yet uninformative, “Brewed and Bottled in the USA.” The ingredient lists offers a similar lack of specificity. All flavoring comes listed under “natural flavors,” which can mean practically anything. In fact the name itself presents questions as well. Jackson Ginger. Is it an ale? A beer? The label seemingly raises more questions than it settles. Some stuff we do know: cane sugar provides a sweet taste, carbonated water provides bubbles and there’s only the one preservative, sodium benzoate. Calories total a fairly steep 194.
The nose is mildly of ginger, though of a tang and a bit leafy. The appearance is as well mildly of ginger, offering the barest stain on this nearly clear liquid. The experience begins with sweetness quickly striking first before a soft touch follows, this of a hollow ginger, like an air or fog, not really a direct contact. There seems to be a lace of vanilla too. The ginger possesses an unusual character that falls short of desirable. There’s an earthiness to the sweet finish that’s almost chalky. The heat feels like an echo, only really noticeable after the action, never amounting to much.
So is it a ginger ale or a ginger beer? Its character classifies it as a ginger beer but it feels distanced from either due to the odd tack taken with the ginger flavor. Though the ginger presumably gets listed under “natural flavors,” the taste here feels like a poor approximation of it. The final impression lacks enthusiasm. In a ginger beer emergency, it’ll do but it’s too dull and imbalanced to merit recommendation.
Final Decision: Fourth Tier – Passable
Purchased at: Beverages Direct | Also available at: Soda4u
Back to: All Reviews
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