The Naturally Light series eventually found itself replaced by Refreshingly Light.  More than just a name change, new formulas were devised for these versions of their Indian Tonic Water, Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer.  The notes for this review were originally written while the two options sat side-by-side on shelves but by now Naturally Light may be near impossible to find.

The 6.8 ounce (200ml) clear glass bottle possesses an elegant curvature and comes embossed with the fever tree found often in their branding.  The label, with a lighter background color, appears quite similar to the Premium.  It uses the same upscale look including the same uninspired typeface selections except for the addition of hand-written elements, notably the “Naturally Light” designation.

Carbonated spring water kicks off the ingredient list of this 40-calorie beverage (that’s 71 calories per 12 ounces).  In addition there’s fruit sugar, ginger root, other natural flavors, tartaric and ascorbic acids.  No preservatives are included.

There’s a touch of cloudiness to this fizzy, translucent liquid which carries a slightly more golden color than its full-calorie counterpart.  Ginger dominates the nose, nice and strong.  The first impression comes through as a dryness.  Then the ginger arrives, tasting not at all artificial.  It reaches a pleasant peak, joined by a tang, and continues to hang on for a few beats.  The heat goes easy at first but builds with each sip, prickling about the tongue.  The tang subsides into a clean finish.

Naturally Light has no intention of imitating Fever-Tree’s flagship ginger beer.  It’s quite comfortable doing its own thing and offers a lot of flavor for the calories.  The choice to go dry strikes as a clever idea.  When reducing calories, why not just reduce the sweetness instead of pursuing artificial options?  A dry ginger beer can be as good or better than a sweet one so there’s a reason to choose this variety other than just the reduced calories and sugar.  It’s a straightforward option that lacks the complexity of the Premium but nevertheless remains desirable in its own right.

Final Decision: Second Tier – Alluring

Purchased locally at: Spec’s

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But why stop at beer?  Randy began brewing many years before, after his return from military service in Germany.  He was as versatile as he was knowledgeable and so in 1988 added brewed sodas to the company’s repertoire.  Root beer and cream soda were first off the line but a ginger beer followed later.

Sprecher ginger beer rests in a 12oz. brown-glass, long-neck bottle with a defined curve at the shoulder.  An ombre paints the label’s background, yellow to orange to brown, highlighting the roaring lion crest at its center.  Oddly, metal-look edges border the top and bottom, complete with screws.  Old English type makes up the logo sitting above the crest.  The design conjures thoughts of Germany, sitting at long wooden tables with cold mugs in hand.

Carbonated water leads the ingredient list as expected with glucose syrup acting as sweetener.  Real ginger and natural flavors make up the taste, along with citric acid.  Sodium benzoate keeps this 150-calorie beverage tasting fresh.

Pouring into a mug generates a generous fizz and even an ephemeral head which hangs on for a handful of seconds before dissipating.  The liquid is a light, transparent golden hue with a nose of twining sweet and ginger.  Sweetness touches the tongue straight off, preceding the advent of the ginger.  The ginger amplifies in strength building to a startling strike of sour, nested in botanical notes.  Heat settles mid-tongue, depositing a trail of prickles.  It’s sharp, above average.  The sour-ginger medley fades through the finish with the sour hanging on long after.

The label cries, “Craft soda with a bite,” and this one’s all teeth.  The astonishing arrival of the sour marks the most memorable moment of the progression.  It’s the climax of an unusual flavor profile that’s initially objectionable but soon grows on you.  Daring describes this wholly original ginger beer, the type of flavor that generates opinions.  It’s certainly not for everyone but it does have its merits.  There’s an ocean of competitors out there and in its vast reaches Sprecher’s divisive punch will not be forgotten.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased at: Beverages Direct, though it’s no longer available there. | Also available online at: Sprecher, Antiqology

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Whoever lies at the heart of Wild Spur gave the world a 170-calorie ginger beer, made with familiar ingredients like carbonated water, sugar and natural flavor as well as some unusual too, like modified food starch, glyceryl abietate and brominated vegetable oil.  The latter three sound arcane but they essentially keep the liquid from separating and thicken it up just a tick.

There’s a western theme to the label on this 12-ounce, long-neck bottle.  A shiplap background underlays a rope-wrapped illustration of a mounted cowboy at sunset.  Nautical stars float nearby.  The logo is as western as a cattle drive with a boot-shaped “L” and a spur branching off the “U.”  Taken as a whole, the label certainly drives home the idea of a drink from another era.  It’s not inspired design but it gets the message across just fine.

The bouquet is sweet ginger with a hint of spiciness.  A pour reveals generous carbonation but no sediment in this apple-juice-colored beverage.  Tasting immediately takes an unexpected turn.  Wild Spur begins drier than the scent would suggest though still mildly sweet.  Ginger then envelops the tongue, carrying a notable dose of heat and prickle interlaced with a bit of citrus.  The finish offers another twist as the sweetness implied by the nose finally shows up.  Heat lingers on the tongue and lips.

Some ginger beers stretch their legs a bit, mixing in unique flavors like apple or salt.  Like the label design promises, Wild Spur eschews that adventurousness, delivering a traditional flavor experience.  It delights with a well-tuned level of heat, above average for sure.  It possesses substantial body, with a bit of a cola feel and is pleasant to drink.  While it can’t be called a stand-out, it is quite good, somehow deepening the mystery of its origins.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased at: Beverages Direct | Available online at: Antiqology, Binny’s

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All Bundaberg varieties arrive in a 12.7-ounce (375ml), squat, brown glass bottle with their elaborate, swooping logo arching over the top of the label.  This special edition carries a deep red field bordered in a pine green with a star adorning a narrowing stack of brewing barrels, the shape conjuring images of Christmas trees.  The effect of the capable design does double duty: celebrates the holiday season and holds true to the classic Bundaberg branding.

Inside there’s 170 calories which proportions to about 160 for a 12-ounce serving.  Carbonated water forms the foundation of the beverage but there’s yeast included as well so some fermenting occurred at some point.  Sweetness comes from cane sugar and the ginger flavor is thanks to ginger root.  Cinnamon and clove add to the taste as does the touch of citric acid.  A couple of preservatives are included, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate.  Vitamin C plays antioxidant.

A thick fizz builds as the ginger beer pours with a color that’s just a shade darker than a typical ginger beer.  Sediment meanders throughout.  The nose is lively and bright with the smells of sweet ginger and spices.  Christmas immediately enters the mind. 

It’s quite sweet right from the start, preceding the burst of ginger and spices.  Hovering within is an excellent balance of aromatic cloves and the bite of cinnamon.  The ginger blends seamlessly, giving the faintest hint at heat but absent of prickles.  The sweetness is considerable but it too falls perfectly in balance and advances the seasonal taste.  The spices carry through the finish as does the sugary sweet.

The flavor profile seems reminiscent of mulled drinks, yuletide teas or baked apples and entirely captures the atmosphere of the season.  Pour a glass or mix a drink.  It begs to be drunk while under a blanket near the hearth, surrounded by the family who will feel such delight at the gifts you’ve delicately wrapped for them.  Bundaberg Spiced Ginger Beer doesn’t just suit the season, it elevates it.

Final Decision: First Tier – Exceptional

Purchased locally at World Market

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Werewolf Howling Ginger Beer, bathed in moonlight, emerges from Orca Beverage in Mukilteo, Washington, north of Seattle.  Orca bottles a ton of retro sodas, over a hundred, many well-known like Dad’s Root Beer.  To be clear, they don’t own many of these brands but they do manufacture and bottle them.  Who owns Werewolf isn’t immediately clear but the smart money is on Orca.

The bottle’s a standard brown-glass long-neck with a generic cap but creativity dwells in the label.  On it the silhouette of a furry werewolf howls at the giant full-moon dominating a green sky.  An ominous castle perches on the mountain behind him (or her).  Red eyes narrow in its skull, the color matching the “Werewolf” logotype.  It’s got a classic horror look to it and is absolutely perfect for Halloween.

A serving generates 160 calories.  As expected, carbonated water makes up the lion’s share of the content.  Cane sugar and honey provide the sweet taste and “natural ginger flavor” gives the natural ginger flavor.  There’s a bit of citric acid too and hot pepper extract (almost certainly containing capsaicin) to add some heat.  Maltodextrin is listed too, usually affecting mouthfeel, and sodium benzoate acts as a preservative.

Generous fizz appears when poured, the liquid a pale pink the hue of a rosé yet cloudy like a proper ginger beer, filtered though, no sediment drifts within.  It smells richly of ginger, sweetness entwined. 

The taste is a treat.  Sweetness comes on but in control, finely tuned, not as strong as the nose would indicate.  Ginger swells quickly with a pleasant intensity as prickles blanket the tongue.  There’s the brief zing of citrus at the climax followed by an earthy sweetness as the progression fades.  A formidable heat persists, strong, yes, but not overpowering.  The hot pepper extract blends perfectly with the ginger’s heat, the line between the two indiscernible.

Werewolf possesses an excellent ginger flavor, tasting not at all artificial.  The balance is bang-on too.  While the branding portends a novelty, something bought for a Halloween party to generate a few chuckles, the quality here is undeniable.  The taste is abounding and flavorful, far better than it needed to be to sell briskly during the season.  Surprises this time of year usually bring on a bit of fright, but in this case there’s a smile, some nodding and an enthusiastic thanks.

Final Decision: Second Tier – Alluring

Purchased locally at: World Market. Also available online at: Antiqology, Soda Pop Stop.

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With the relatively recent rediscovery of the Moscow Mule and resulting resurgence of its signature mixer, a window of opportunity opened and the company leapt through it, releasing Stoli Ginger Beer in 2014.  They unleashed a huge PR push across America and social media, encouraging fans to put down their current favorites and pick up a Stoli Mule.  More than 300 bar events were held, handing out samples of the cocktail in branded copper mugs to nearly twenty thousand people.

Look for Stoli in a slim 12-ounce can, mostly can-colored with a wide, red slash striking across it.  Copper accents a centered, white diamond where most of the type is located.  Four of these come wrapped in cardboard printed with similar design language.  Overall, it’s a success.  Wander down the mixers aisle of the grocery store and this stands out from the competition, looking both unique and upscale.

Some pretty standard ingredients lurk within: carbonated water, cane sugar, natural flavors, a couple preservatives. Calories total 70 for a six-ounce serving, so a perfectly reasonable 140 for the whole thing.

From the can, transparent liquid pours into the glass, crowned with a layer of fizz.  Presaged by the nose, cane sugar first lays down a thick foundation of sweetness.  The moderate ginger follows quickly, riding on bubbles with a touch of salt, building in flavor intensity but not heat.  It peaks without prickling then diminuendos, leaving sugar and citrus to handle the finish, which tastes almost like a candy.  It goes down easy, very drinkable.

Aspects that some could consider flaws in their drink, like too generous carbonation or sweetness, could also be considered assets in a mixer, reaching perfect levels once mildly diluted. So while the list of complaints remains short, it doesn’t do much to set itself apart either, running dangerously close to forgettable. Nevertheless, the formula here is well-conceived. It tastes good alone but better as a mixer, definitely worthy of the Stoli name.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased at: HEB | Wide availability

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Today that prized liquid forms the basis for all of Llanllyr Source’s products, including this ginger beer.  The ingredients begin there and don’t go on for long, adding only sugar and natural flavors—no preservatives.  The calorie count remains comparatively low, only 70.8 in this 6.8-ounce (200ml) clear-glass bottle; that’s almost right at 125 per 12 ounces. 

The label design is clean and attractive, unafraid of negative space.  Upon it, black type dresses a milky brown field.  The field color varies with each of the company’s offerings and coordinates with the color of its cap.  In the logo, the “O” is usually filled with red, but on this one product the fill is orange.  The Welsh lion prances on both the label and the cap (which requires a bottle opener to remove).  It all comes together well, communicating elegance and dignity.

A handful of tumps stir the powdered ginger root and spices from the bottom of the bottle and up into the cloudy liquid.  Careful though; carbonation is strong. In fact, the first impression as Source fills the mouth is bubbles.  A froth of them offers greetings.  They part like a curtain, presenting the natural ginger flavor wrapped in tartness.  Sweetness swells but remains reserved.  The ginger’s bite is subtle but there, just a bit on the sides of the tongue, not a prickle but a presence.  The finish is pure ginger snap.

While there’s not much heat, enough is there to generate interest.  This is described as a taming of their Fiery Ginger Beer but it’s not so tame as to register as boring.  The spices and sparkle bring both taste and texture to this excellent beverage.  Llanllyr Source has here crafted something enticing.  Like a fine meal, it begins with cool water and ends with something sweet.  I’ll have seconds, please.

Final Decision: Second Tier – Alluring

Purchased locally at Total Wine | Online availability at: Amazon

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