February 5, 2020
Cawston Press Ginger Beer | A Review
Unusual in the world of ginger beer, a collective makes up Cawston Press of “growers, foodies, buyers and technical experts.” Thirty years ago they found themselves quite weary of carbonated soft drinks always packing a ton of sugar so they utilized their vast apple orchards to begin brewing creative beverages inspired by British gardens and without added sugar.
Cawston Press Ginger Beer, like their other offerings, comes in a white can featuring Victorian-inspired design. The era was known for its “Fat Face” type with a mixture of fonts and rules selected to fill every square inch of space. The logo sits high and earns a few points for the “PRESS” bit being nestled in lines implying a fruit press. A pattern of daisies encircles the top, an indicator of freshness and care in the contents.
No sugar gets added to Cawston Press products as the fruit adds all the sweetness they feel is needed. That’s what’s not in the ginger beer. What is in the ginger beer is pressed apple juice, carbonated water, ginger extract and vitamin C for tartness and to protect the color. The final tally is a pretty reasonable 90 calories for 11.15 ounces. For comparison’s sake, that’s 97 calories in 12 ounces of the stuff.
Light fizz appears when poured. The liquid is opaque and darker than a typical ginger beer, owing to a healthy dose of apple juice. It suspends some sediment within, though it’s difficult to detect with the cloudy opacity. The nose is apples and ginger.
A dryness kicks off the flavor development before the apple arises, building slowly. Ginger follows, in step, complementing the stronger notes of apple and adding a touch of heat. There’s a tartness to the finish and a slight bitterness lingers thereafter.
Cawston Press is proud of their apples and like all of their products, apple figures prominently. It should be regarded as the primary component of their ginger beer with the ginger in more of a supporting role. It’s rather the opposite of another appley ginger beer, Top Hat, in which the roles are reversed. Reviews here are given based on a beverage’s merit as a ginger beer and though Cawston Press has made a tasty soda, it’s too much of a departure from what one would consider for the category and would most likely turn off purists. While it can’t be considered a recommended ginger beer, it is a recommended soda, especially for fans of apple.
Final Decision: Fourth Tier – Passable
Purchased locally at: HEB | Available online at BritSuperstore.
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