So where does the name come from anyway?  In 1835, Texas, then a province of Mexico, sat on the brink of revolution.  As tensions rose, Mexico thought it best to reclaim a loaned cannon from the town of Gonzalez.  The town refused to return the weapon and, in defiance, rose a white flag with a painting of the cannon and emblazoned with the now immortal words, “COME AND TAKE IT.”

This moment holds a special place in the hearts of Texans even today and shirts, stickers and tattoos of the flag are common.  It’s that spirit of resistance that gave rise to the Republic of Texas for which the Lone Star means independence.

While the story behind the name is one of legend, the story behind the brand is not.

In Lewisville, Texas sits North Texas Distillers, the creator of 1835 The Lone Star and 16 other brands of spirit, 10 of which are vodkas.  Where are they all coming from?  Lone Star doesn’t have its own distillery or its own offices.  It doesn’t even have its own webpage.  So, what’s the story behind Lone Star?  If the ginger beer is any clue, it’s possible that it’s not much more than a wrapper.

The can will tell you the drink originates in Pilot Point, Texas, a tiny speck north of Dallas with less than 5000 people.  That’s the home of the Western Son vodka distillery.  Western Son crafts their own ginger beer too—previously reviewed—right there in town.  The highly distinctive ingredient list—consisting of rarities like high fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring and several additives and preservatives—sticks in the memory for its unusual nature.  It was a surprise to see it repeated on the side of the Lone Star can.

The can itself lacks inspiration, unlike the name.  A black field surrounds a grunge-framed white rectangle.  The logo floats within, comprised of a condensed western font.  A lone bronze star sits awkwardly in the lower right.  The design holds little presence and looks a bit budget, quite different from Western Son’s striking use of type—which is important because this is Western Son Ginger Beer in a different can.  No, not even a different can since the design is actually printed upon a plastic wrap hugging the can.  The liquid fills each blank can in a long train.  Then the cans get wrapped in livery based on however many of each are needed.

The Western Son review contains all the information but here’s a quick summary.  The darkly colored liquid holds a whopping 225 calories and tastes of sweet ginger and citrus.  It’s tart and tangy.  The development though is static, with little change in the experience throughout the progression.  There’s also the unfortunate (though mild) sensation of syrup pressing down on the tongue.  So while the flavor is nice, the texture isn’t. 

This ginger beer sees a much narrower distribution than its accompanying vodka so acquiring it isn’t easy.  That means stumbling across it is rare so it’s probably worth picking up to try it.  However it’s likely that adjacent to it rests another, more familiar selection that might prove a tastier choice.  Stick with what you know or go on an adventure: that decision is yours.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased locally at: Spec’s

Back to: All Reviews

The brewery obtained the very first license in the nation to produce beer after Prohibition and saw much success as it was passed down from generation to generation of Matts throughout the years.  In 1995, with Nick and Fred in control, the Matt Brewing Company made a return to soft drink production and today hosts a line of nine varieties including this Saranac Ginger Beer.

Green stands out as the primary color of the label on this 12-ounce brown-glass longneck bottle.  The sharp-serifed logo dances at the top while “ginger beer” floats over a barrel illustration in flashy yellow type.  Wrapped around the neck clings another small label where a short paragraph description promises “tons of ginger.”

High fructose corn syrup sweetens this beverage built on filtered water.  Citric acid plays a part as taste ambiguously rises out of natural and artificial flavors.  Also present are the preservative sodium benzoate as well as caramel color.  The entire bottle counts for 160 calories.

The liquid appears as pale gold, devoid of sediment.  Its rich carbonation materializes as a thick blanket of foam floating near the rim of the glass.  There’s a sharp ginger on the nose with unexpected floral undertones. 

Sweetness emerges in a gradual crescendo joined quickly by a shy ginger which never reaches an equilibrium.  The texture surprises with a cottony creaminess and vanilla graces the finish.  Heat is absent.

It’s best described as a ginger cream soda rather than a ginger beer, a bold direction that could burrow a successful niche with just some tuning.  The creaminess is pleasant but can be off-putting to some palettes while the ample fizz is welcome.  Unfortunately the problems are significant.  The ginger refuses to come forward and since heat is eschewed it would make for a poor choice of mixer and ultimately stands as a below average example of a ginger beer.

Final Decision: Fourth Tier – Passable

Purchased online at: Beverages Direct | Available locally at: Total Wine | Also available online at: Soda4U, Soda Emporium, Specialty Sodas

Back to: All Reviews

With the renewed interest in the Moscow Mule, demand for ginger beer skyrocketed and visionary distillers like Western Son saw an opportunity to not only expand their bottom line but to showcase the spirit they’d worked so hard to create.  Enter Western Son Texas Ginger Beer.

The can design (printed on a plastic wrap and not directly on the can itself) builds off the branding of their vodka bottles with its bold type on a field the color of aged paper.  It gives the impression of an Old West wanted poster and catches, holds the eye.  Black rings the lower third of the can, providing a pleasing contrast.  Around back, the reason the drink exists is made plain.  It’s the recipe for a “Western Mule,” consisting of Western Son vodka and Western Son ginger beer. 

The uninspiring ingredient list also graces the back of the can.  Anything delectable sits locked behind the amorphous “natural flavors” while preservatives and additives get spelled out.  The list includes sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, gum acacia and ester gum.  While sporting a couple of these is common, seeing them all is unusual.  What’s even rarer is the use of high fructose corn syrup as the sweetener.  A review encountered it only one other time.  Also present, caramel color richens the presentation.  Water and citric acid round out the list, which amounts to 150 calories for an 8oz serving, a staggering 225 for the 12oz can.

As expected, the liquid appears darker than most ginger beers with what seems to be a fine sediment suspended within it, not floating but locked in place.  Few bubbles ascend during the pour.  The nose detects a light ginger with a hint of citrus.  Tasting, a flash of sweetness precedes the almost immediate arrival of ginger and citrus.  A constant undercurrent of sweetness runs beneath the floating haze of the ginger.  The sharpness of the citrus is pronounced but not overpowering.  There’s a mild syrupy quality laying upon the tongue.  Heat never arrives.  The finish offers more of the same, tart and ginger running parallel.

Overall there’s not much of a progression.  What it is in the beginning is what it is in the middle is what it is in the end.  Other ginger beers play a bit more in the mouth but this is content to sit still.  The balance though between the ginger and citrus sets it apart.  It’s perfectly tuned and the two flavors complement each other well.  The energy here comes from the tang but it could use a touch of heat and a bit more carbonation to really make it dance. 

The mouthfeel is odd too.  The thick feeling pressing upon the tongue gives the sensation of drinking a flat soda.  It’s mild though and not a huge issue.  The citrus and ginger mostly make up for the concerns but that 225 calories equal a steep price for a flawed treat.  One of these is enjoyable but one of these is enough.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased locally at: Spec’s

Back to: All Reviews

B. Stiff & Sons Old Fashioned Soda Pop Company is the non-alcoholic arm of the Oskar Blues empire.  The brand name pays homage to a friend of founder Dale Katechis.  Brian Stiff was an avid biker who died suddenly, leaving behind a family including two children.  A fraction of the profit goes towards supporting them.

The original 2012 B. Stiff offering grew to be the fastest-selling craft root beer in Colorado and in 2016 it was joined by four more flavors, all with vintage appeal.  Among them came this ginger beer but also released were cream, orange cream and black cherry sodas.

The can is bewildering to behold.  Every inch of space has been crammed with something, from a portrait of a bird soaring over the Rockies to witty phrases like “Mary Ann and Ginger Beer” and “Try It, Mule Like It.”  There are starred ribbons, comedic capitalization and two prominent logos front and center.  “B. Stiff” appears in a circus font, “& Sons” in a grunge font and “Old Fashioned” is in script.  It’s insane.

There’s some sciencey-sounding words in the ingredient list for this 150-calorie soda like sodium benzoate and sucrose acetate isobutyrate but no point getting carried away.  They’re harmless.  The first preserves flavor while the second prevents separation.   The real attention-getter is ginger puree.  Not “natural flavors;” not even extract.  Puree!  With cane sugar providing the sweetness, expectations ride high.

In the glass the opaque liquid tends toward the white end of the ginger beer color spectrum and gives off only a mild scent of ginger.  The first performance is given by a dull sweetness which hands the stage to a very mild ginger with absolutely no prickling sensation.  Lime speaks, softly.  Just prior to the finish is an earthy, botanical blip, likely a product of the puree. 

The progression is a cloud.  Everything is soft with no hard edges.  Smooth throughout, no heat from the ginger, no tart from the citrus.  No excitement either.  It’s altogether pretty standard, feeling like a ginger beer developed in a focus group.  Absolutely inoffensive. 

Though the can is quite shouty, the taste is anything but.  The hype of ginger puree quiets after sampling, lacking the expected zing of fresh ginger.  But all is not lost here.  Disregard any expectations, judge it on its merits and here is found a gratifying experience. No, it won’t inspire backflips but it is pleasant, smooth and easy to drink and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased locally at: Spec’s

Back to: All Reviews

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

Back to: All Reviews

He took inspiration from his dad.  The man was an admitted soda addict and Trevor saw that as an opportunity.  He began brewing his own kombucha with a new idea: what if it could be made to taste like soda?  After trials and errors and much tinkering, in 2012 Live Beverages came to life.  Trevor had finally developed a kombucha that tasted much like soda.  His dad embraced it and never looked back.

On the subject, their kombucha still tastes like kombucha, but that flavor rides shotgun with the soda flavor behind the wheel.  The sharp edges normally found in the taste are sanded down, making what is oftentimes a distasteful beverage quite delicious.

Live Soda came next.  By reversing his thinking Trevor created a soda with probiotic content like kombucha.  Several flavors are now on offer like Cola, Root Beer and this, Live Soda Ginger, which is said to ride the line between ginger ale and ginger beer.

It’s worth mentioning that the claimed benefits of probiotics are questionable, but one thing Live Soda has going for it in that regard is that, unlike a lot of other probiotic foods, it contains bacteria that actually are a member of the human gut flora ecosystem.

The packaging is excellent.  Live Soda won a BevNet award for their rebranding and it’s understandable why.  The clean and attractive logo features prominently on the two-tone can.  “Ginger” slashes in a stylish typeface across a golden background filled with bubbles.  It’s all very modern and enticing and clearly communicates what makes this soda different from its shelf companions.  Full marks.

As the can proclaims, Live Soda Ginger contains no calories.  Instead of sugar, erythritol and monk fruit extract perform the sweetening duties.  Accompanying them are carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid and the probiotic bacillus subtilis.  Quite concise.

The liquid appears a robust bronze color with moderate carbonation and without sediment.  It smells only weakly of ginger.  The initial taste sensation is stark dryness, almost as if sipping carbonated water.  Ginger then unfurls, not prickly yet tactile, carrying a bright tartness but no heat.  There’s no evolution to the finish; the flavor just attenuates until it’s gone.

Live Soda achieves a hybridity between ginger beer and ale but it stands dryer than either one.  Without the sweetness, it feels unsatisfying, a reminder that this is supposed to be good for you. There’s nothing about it that feels like an indulgence.

What’s more, the flavor profile is simple to the point of being uninteresting.  Without a unique and attractive taste, to choose this beverage is only to choose the probiotics.  It struggles to compare favorably to otherwise similar ginger soda options, like those low in sweetness or calorie count.  If it’s a practical decision, then it’s not much of a decision at all.  But if it isn’t, then it might be best to explore elsewhere.

Final Decision: Fourth Tier – Passable

Purchased locally at: HEB

Back to: All Reviews

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

Back to: All Reviews

Plans emerged about 45 years later to revive everything that made the original so great, including that magical root beer.  Bottling it became a priority but using new machinery didn’t seem to fit the mission.  A nationwide search turned out successful when a vintage 1940’s bottling line was located in a Wisconsin barn.  That bottling line was installed into the new restaurant and now, while they munch on burgers or pizza, patrons can watch Fitz’s assortment of classic sodas poured into bottles and served up cold.

The label is mostly gray and black with a halo of green ringing the logo.  Most other Fitz’s varieties come in brightly hued wrapping but the Pi Ginger Beer, a later addition, appeared after most of those saturated colors were taken.  Perhaps that’s why the palette runs so dark.  Even so, they complement the vintage design and even lend to the classic feel.

A long-neck bottle was chosen, dark brown and very appropriate.  There’s a reasonable 140-calorie price for this ginger beer.  Flavored naturally, it uses filtered carbonated water and pure cane sugar.  There’s the omnipresent sodium benzoate working preservative duty and some caramel color was used.  The final result is a clear, golden liquid with no sediment and little carbonation. Not much scent either.

Sweetness starts off the show as planned.  The ginger appears but never fully materializes, light and mild, virtually no heat.  A hint of syrup passes through.  Sugary describes the finish.

The taste here is not that of a ginger beer, but of a ginger ale, plus it demonstrates the syrupy characteristic found in a brown soft drink.  Considering there’s minimal ginger and no kick, it’s hard to make a case for ginger beer fans to prioritize sampling this.  A stop at Fitz’s while in St. Louis is still on the to-do list, but the best idea is to probably stick to something they’re renowned for: the root beer.

Final Decision: Fifth Tier – Skippable

Purchased at: Beverages Direct | Online availability at: Fitz’s, Antiqology

Back to: All Reviews

Barritts (no apostrophe) Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer is a carbonated-water-based offering which features a few puzzling ingredients like the natural extract of quillaia bark and neutral cloud, which probably refused to take a side in WWII.  The label goes on to say it’s flavored with natural and artificial ginger but you’ll find no sediment to tump.  Sugar is the sweetener of choice here and a touch of caramel coloring made the cut as well.

You can have it in a bottle of assorted sizes, or even a can if you’re tubing the river.  Mine was a 12oz glass bottle, clear as day so you can see the near-white color of the drink—an enjoyable detail.  The background color of the label is evocative of the copper mug you’d find your Moscow Mule served in.  The design is not overly done, featuring what I presume is an ancient logo, but the typeface for GINGER BEER is ghastly.

Barritts will cost you a pretty stout 200 calories.  Though if that’s too much a diet version is available—which we’ll get into in a later post.

When tasting, a rich sweetness overlays the ginger flavor which lacks the depth given by fresh root.  Taking place almost entirely on the mid-tongue, the flavor is simple, hitting all at once, and a bit one-note.  Carbonation level is on the milder side of moderate, enough to bubble up your drink a bit when using it as a mixer.  You’ll find little if any heat here, making it easy to drink but lacking the punch of a stronger variety.

If your preference is for extra sweet ginger beers with no heat, this is one for you.  My desires don’t follow that path as I’m a fan of spiciness and found it a bit too sugary.  It’s worth trying for sure and there’s certainly a fan base for it.  Personally I’d call it average but would be comfortable recommending it to the right kind of person.  Any drink that’s been around as long as this one certainly has something going for it.

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Purchased locally at: Spec’s  |  Also available locally at: Total Wine | Online availability at: Antiqology, Beverages Direct (in 6-pack bottles, 12-pack bottles and 12-pack cans), Soda Emporium (in singles, 4-packs and a case), Soda Pop Stop

Back to: All Reviews