Stoli Fire & Spice Ginger Beer | A Review

brett — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 11:00:00 +0000

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.

Fire and Spice is perfect for a Game of Thrones watch party.

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.

There’s no other ginger beer like it.

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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Stoli Ginger Beer | A Review

brett — Wed, 15 May 2019 13:00:50 +0000

Widespread popularity of its liquors means the Stoli name carries significant weight around the world. Originating as a Soviet vodka distiller, it didn’t reach American shores until the 1970s when PepsiCo signed a symbiotic deal bringing Pepsi Cola to the USSR and Stolichnaya to the USA. Since then Stoli expanded its now manifold product line to include vodka of all kinds of flavors including blueberry and vanilla and jalapeno and the whole shebang.

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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stolichnaya – Moon Platoon | The Art & Design of Brett Haile

Stoli Fire & Spice Ginger Beer | A Review

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable

Stoli Ginger Beer | A Review

Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable