February 20, 2019
Sioux City Ginger Beer | A Review
Beneath the umbrella of White Rock lies Sioux City Beverages, a brand best known for its dedication to the soft drinks of the Old West. Sarsaparilla stands as their flagship drink but other varieties are offered including this ginger beer. Ginger beer did find some popularity in the USA during the later Old West so it’s imaginable that cowboys were sidling up to the bar in their local saloon and dramatically catching a sliding mug full of the stuff.
Cowboys kicking their way through those twin swinging doors were most surely watching their calorie counts so they’d be interested to know this one carries 190 of them. It’s mostly purified carbonated water and now, hopping on the trend of abandoning high fructose corn syrup, pure cane sugar. Further down the list lie food starch modified (a thickener), ester gum and brominated soybean oil (which together keep the liquid from separating). Ginger is presumably included under “natural flavor.”
The 12-ounce, darkly brown-tinted, heritage-style glass bottle is slightly heavy and features “SIOUX CITY” in raised lettering, a wonderful touch. While older bottles from the company were intricately designed and delightfully antique-appearing, this modern one is adorned by a clear label with on-brand design inspired by the Old West. An eagle, no doubt about to grasp a tasty beverage, features prominently and is done in negative space. There’s only three colors here, giving a bit of a muted appearance, but it works for what it is.
Carbonation is light for a soda but typical for a ginger beer. Pouring the liquid into a glass reveals no sediment. In the mouth, sweetness appears just before the ginger rises to meet you, draping over the sides of the tongue and moving to the back of the throat, leaving gentle prickles behind. It’s pleasantly sweet without being sugary and balances well with the mild heat.
Sioux City deserves a repeat buy but it doesn’t deserve to be called special. It takes no chances, breaks no new ground. There are no surprises, no unusual ingredients. The mission here is to create a classic and pure ginger beer and, operating strictly within that mold, it’s a success. Therefore, it’s a great starter ginger beer, perfect as an introduction to the drink, establishing a baseline with plenty of room above and below to explore.
Interestingly, buying this again doesn’t have to mean buying Sioux City brand ginger beer. This tidbit is something I’ll get into in a later installment.
Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable
Purchased at: Beverages Direct (in 6-packs and 12-packs) | Also available at: Soda4u, Soda Emporium
Back to: All Reviews
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