June 24, 2020
Stoli Fire & Spice Ginger Beer | A Review
Fear permeated the Cold War as citizens of opposing sides wondered if or when their enemies might launch nuclear weapons and bring an end to everything they held dear. But what they didn’t realize was that their opponents weren’t evil. The fear they felt was shared by the citizens on the other side and in a way they were united by that fear. People are not so different regardless of where they might live or what trouble their government might start for them. In that spirit, Pepsi and Stolichnaya entered an exchange agreement in the 1970’s, a risky venture in unfriendly territory that could potentially earn both companies massive new markets. The grandest ideal though was that this new exposure could ease the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, calming frazzled nerves and offering a kind of understanding that could ease the fear felt on both sides.
Today Stoli is a stalwart in the American world of fine spirits having been fully embraced by people who, in another time, might have scorned it. The flavors of Stoli vodka seem innumerable but also in their portfolio appears a ginger beer. A year after its introduction, a bold, new, limited-edition flavor entered the market, this Fire and Spice Ginger Beer.
The can design aims to be a variation of the standard ginger beer, black where the original is red and with a flaming “Fire & Spice” front and center. The only other major difference is size. Instead of the normal 12oz can, this one is a smaller 8.4 ounces (248ml).
Those 8.4 ounces count as a single serving with 100 calories which pro-rates to 143 calories for 12 ounces, almost exactly what the regular ginger beer holds. Cane sugar sweetens the drink while flavor comes from ginger extract and “other natural flavors.” Citric acid and salt contribute a little and a couple preservatives keep it fresh.
The liquid is perfectly clear and, unlike its counterpart, generates little fizz. The nose offers ginger and sweet cinnamon, smelling almost exactly like Big Red gum. The taste experience begins pretty much as usual with sweetness preceding the arrival of ginger. The two build to a climax where the fireworks start to fly. The cinnamon bursts in, sweet and feisty, reminiscent of a Hot Tamale, a candy tough to find outside of a movie theater. Heat from the ginger prickles a bit and the cinnamon launches a quick salvo of spice as it washes over the tongue. The cinnamon then glides away on the finish, leaving a cottony sweet feeling after it’s gone.
It’s a one-of-a-kind sensation, this cinnamon ginger beer. Balance is well-executed with the cinnamon never suffocating out the ginger even though it should be counted as the forward flavor. While most flavored ginger beers intend to elevate the drink, dress it up a little, this one could be considered a bit unsophisticated or even gimmicky. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Some people love the taste of cinnamon candy and would find a place for Fire and Spice in their heart. Others could find it distasteful. Ultimately, it’s a well-crafted ginger beer, more skillfully done than the slew of overpoweringly flavored ginger beers out there and whether or not it’s good will most likely come down to personal preference.
Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable
Purchased online at: Soda Pop Shop | Available there in singles and 4-packs
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