October 30, 2019
WBC Spicy Ginger | A Review
Over thirty years ago Goose Island Brewery, a Chicago-based purveyor of well-loved craft beers, brought a root beer to market for those looking for an alternative to their alcoholic offerings. It met with some success and later other flavors were added like Orange Cream. As their fanbase grew, it became problematic to produce both beer and soda so in 2010 they hired Redding, California’s WIT Beverage Company to take over the soda bottling duties. Goose Island sodas were rebranded as WBC Craft Sodas and a couple more flavors were added, including Spicy Ginger.
A mostly clear label wraps the clear and colorless long-neck bottle, giving a clear look at the contents. The logotype is gracefully understated, stepping back to let “Spicy Ginger” take the spotlight. The streamlined banner enveloping them overlays a photograph of a sprawling ginger root, a hint as to what to expect from this craft soda. The reserved, mature design sets it apart from most of its competition, suggesting a beverage tuned for the adult palate. Conspicuously missing is a designation as ale or beer.
Carbonated water forms the bedrock here with sugar as the sweetener. This 180-calorie drink gets its taste by way of the amorphous “natural flavor” and there’s citric acid for tang. Altogether few ingredients are found, the only others being a preservative and caramel color.
There’s sweetness when smelling and ginger too in this amber-colored beverage. How does it taste? Imagine a party. Walk through the door and a throng of sugars rush up, all speaking loudly at once, escalating in volume. Ginger stands behind and waves a bit but can’t get more than a couple of words out without being talked over. In frustration, ginger walks away. The sugars ease up a bit and there’s a clipped glimpse of lime, looking bored. Finally, the sugars thin out and exit a few at a time until they’re gone. The last one there is earthiness who gives a smile on the way out. Heat never showed and prickles skipped this one. Can’t blame them.
Interestingly, it feels a bit creamy in the mouth but the centerpiece is fruity sweetness, cranked up until it drowns out everything else. A touch of heat could probably improve the experience. After all it’s called Spicy Ginger; a little heat seems appropriate.
Putting a designation on it proves difficult. It tightropes between ginger ale and beer, not so sedate as an ale, not so aggressive as a beer. Either way it’s too sweet, not spicy enough and too little ginger flavor. Find your next ginger beer fix somewhere else.
Final Decision: Fifth Tier – Skippable
Purchased locally at: Shell | Available online (often labelled Goose Island) at: Antiqology, Soda4u, Specialty Sodas
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