March 4, 2020
Powell & Mahoney Blood Orange Ginger Beer | A Review
A purveyor from Massachusetts, Powell & Mahoney takes pride in winning numerous awards for their unique takes on popular mixers, including a gold medal for their ginger beer (which received a review here) at the Spirits International Prestige Awards in 2016. In 2017, their daring new Blood Orange Ginger Beer won the Innovation prize at the National Restaurant Association’s Food and Beverage Industry Awards. They’ve seen a long string of success, racking up about two dozen wins.
Powell & Mahoney feel an affinity towards Moscow Mules so this blood orange variety marks an attempt to expand horizons and offer variety on that front. The can draws eyes to this bold step with its wrought iron logo, rough-hewn type and hand drawn illustrations of ginger root and sliced blood oranges. There’s a personality to it, classy but fun, and it communicates an expected level of quality.
The can declares an absence of preservatives, artificial ingredients and high fructose corn syrup but citric acid is present. While it primarily imparts a bit of citrus tang, it also possesses a preservative effect so there’s a bit of a gray area on this one. Either way there’s a best-by date on the bottom of the can so it can’t be doing much. It’s worth overlooking.
In addition to citric acid, there’s filtered water and cane sugar for sweetness. Blood orange juice from concentrate and natural orange extract give the signature flavor while ascorbic acid adds tang. Vegetable juice imparts color. The ginger flavor comes from ginger extract and capsaicin adds a degree (or a few degrees) of heat. There’s 130 calories in the 12 ounces of liquid, ten less than their Original Ginger Beer.
In a glass it appears a soft salmony pink color not unlike a rosé or a pink lemonade. On the nose is a strong scent of sweet orange with a bit of ginger. A moment of sweetness precedes the arrival of the blood orange flavor and a bright burst of tart acid. A ginger weaves its way through, prickling the tongue and back of the throat. The capsaicin brings a moderate burn throughout the mouth, building with further sips. The tart carries on through to the finish, gradually fading away until only the heat is left.
Like the original, the heat is strong if not sincere, carrying a different character because of the capsaicin. The blood orange comes through brilliantly but the ginger is not quite so flamboyant, needing a bit of a boost. However the result is another solid entry for Powell & Mahoney, a nice change of pace from the standard ginger beer. There’s an elegance to it with its rich flavors and bright tartness, great for an afternoon in the sun or as a mixer in the evening.
Final Decision: Second Tier – Alluring
Purchased locally at: Total Wine. | Available online at: Powell & Mahoney
Back to: All Reviews
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