When it comes to mass produced ginger ale, Dr Pepper Snapple has a big footprint in the marketplace by having both Canada Dry and Schweppes in its flavor stable. The only other big player is Coke's Seagram's brand. This fact alone would seem to make Canada Dry a likely candidate for the "Ten" treatment, though I'd think it's also ideal because of the mixer element of the drink as well. Some innovative line extensions have been added over the years, including Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale, in hopes to expand the ginger ale offerings. Recently, the brand has been advertising that it's "Made with Real Ginger," despite that not appearing on the ingredients at all. Let's not fool ourselves here… Canada Dry isn't exactly a Reed's or Fresh Ginger-caliber product when it comes to the ginger experience.

Like the other 2nd generation "Ten" flavors, Canada Dry Ten borrows from the design cues of Dr Pepper Ten through the addition of a gunmetal grey color to the label. The color actually works pretty well as a compliment for the white/green scheme typically associated with the logo, though the way "Ten" is added to the logo, one might miss the distinction or associate this with Diet Canada Dry. As established in the "Ten" lineup, the packaging proclaims that Canada Ten offers "10 Great Tasting Calories," utilizing 3 sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

The "Ten" lineup from Dr Pepper Snapple Group seems targeted at a demographic that isn't buying the "Diet" versions of said drinks, and in many cases, as noted by the Dr Pepper Ten advertising campaign, that would tend to be the male demographic. To best see if Canada Dry Ten could lure drinkers of full calorie Canada Dry, we compared Ten against Diet Canada Dry and regular Canada Dry.

When all three drinks are poured side-by-side-by-side, the first thing one notices is color. Diet Canada Dry is a darker yellowish color, while regular Canada Dry and Canada Dry Ten are lighter and look similar. The Diet iteration is also quite a bit more foamy/bubbly than the other two. Finally, the scent of Diet Canada Dry is quite muted, while regular and Ten have a somewhat sweet bouquet.

Regular, full calorie Canada Dry isn't a bad drink. It's sweet and has a hint of ginger flavor. It's light and works well by itself or with food. There's a certain HFCS-syupyness that lasts in the aftertaste. In contrast, Diet Canada Dry's artificial sweeteners are pretty obvious when you sample it, really being noticeable in the bottom part of the mouth with a strong fake experience. Which brings us to new Canada Dry Ten, which actually does a pretty decent job of mimicking the flavor profile of the original. It's sweeter than Diet and closer in overall level to regular. Like the other entries in the "Ten" lineup, it starts out strong tasting like the original namesake, only later having the artificial sweeteners kick in. But that first blast of familiar flavor goes a long way in making Canada Dry more palatable than its Diet brethren. I'd argue that it's a good lower calorie substitute for the original if you are watching your calorie intake.

The use of artificial sweeteners in this ginger ale lineup seems to be a bit more finicky than some of the more bold flavors in the "Ten" lineup. I think they are more noticeable overall. Therefore, while Canada Dry Ten isn't perfect in taking just like a full calorie version, I think it does a pretty darn good job shooting for it!

Canada Dry Ten
Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, malic acid, sodium benzoate (preservative), aspartame, natural flavors, acesulfame potassium, caramel color

A 12 oz can contains 10 calories, 115 mg sodium, and 2 g carbs (2 g sugars). Caffeine free.

For those interested in a comparison…

Diet Canada Dry
Carbonated water, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate (preservative), malic acid, aspartame, caramel color, natural flavors, acesulfame potassium, calcium disodium EDTA (to preserve flavor)

A 12 oz can contains 0 calories, 120 mg sodium, and 0 g carbs (0 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Canada Dry Ten is a pretty well executed, low cal knockoff of the original. It's better than Diet and worth a try!

Now, here at BevReview, we're fans of really good ginger ale. That's why we talk up Bruce Cost's Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale whenever given the opportunity. But while Cost's entry into the market is one that plays to the Whole Foods-type crowd, Reed's counterbalances that by promoting the health benefits that ginger can bring. This type of nutritional angle is one that is relevant given the abundance of "functional" products we are now seeing the beverage marketplace.

Reed's Neal Cohane and Emily Straubel

At the show I talked to Reed's Neal Cohane, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing, and Emily Straubel, Director of Public Relations & Social Media. We explored the different markets that Reed's is currently involved in, including not only ginger brews, but also some anti-nausea products, candy, ice cream, and their standard beverage line, Virgil's. While some of their claims have recently gotten them in trouble with the FDA, the basic premise of their ginger products remains the same: good-tasting soft drinks that have some added benefits.

I've been quite interested in ginger lately, as my wife is pregnant with our first child, and unbelievably we've seen how ginger has an amazing calming effect when it comes to morning sickness and nausea. I wouldn't have believed it had we not been going through this phase in our lives, but there's just something in ginger that works. While the rest of the marketplace is pushing products that give you more energy, or feature stevia, or have some amazing new method to help you recover from a hangover, it's interesting that something vintage like real ginger could impactful benefits.

The flavor of Reed's Original Ginger Brew packs a good bite, maybe not as harshly as Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale, but it also provides a certain smoothness that is attractive. If you've never had a real ginger ale — Canada Dry, Seagram's, and Schweppes don't count — you really need to give Reed's a try… or take it to the next step with Reed's Extra Ginger Brew. But don't just take my word for it. I asked fellow BevReview reviewer George Tsakiridis to share his thoughts as well.

Reed's Extra Ginger Brew is one of a line of ginger drinks that harken back to a time when soda couldn't be easily bought at the store. Their website discusses the old pioneer days when soft drinks were brewed at home not only as a tasty drink, but also as an herbal solution. Just thinking about it has me excited, as the Reed's line combines taste and health and I'm sure it will pack a big bite with 26 grams of fresh ginger involved. For those interested in the investment angle, Reed's is also a publicly traded company: REED.

The bottle is green with red/yellow labeling and a nice beach scene on the front. It states "All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Beer" and they have clearly gone with a sort of "Jamaican" themed bottle. Each bottle contains 12 fluid ounces and 145 calories. It also has 37.4 grams of sugar and 25% fruit juice.

The ingredient list reads as follows: "sparkling filtered water (sweetened by a blend of fructose, pineapple juice from concentrate and honey), fresh ginger root, lemon and lime juices from concentrate and spices." Note it contains fructose, but not high fructose corn syrup, a notable difference.

Honestly, I was really looking forward to tasting this for the first time, not only for the taste itself, but also the fact that it will probably settle my stomach. I twist off the cap to a pretty loud "pop" and see a cloudy smoke emerge. I smell some ginger, but not much and not too strong of a scent. With the first taste, I feel a fairly heavy carbonation burn and a gingery taste mixed with a sweet flavor that I can't quite put my finger on, but which I can clearly taste as honey as I drink more.

The afterburn is present, but not near as strong as I was expecting. Perhaps it is because I was ready for it. Giving it to someone else for a second opinion, they found it clearly stronger than another ginger beer we've reviewed recently, Cock 'n Bull. I definitely feel an extended burn, but it is not overly intense. I also notice sediment on the bottom of the bottle, what I hope is the fresh ginger. It has a fresh taste to it, and again, the more I drink, the more I taste a honey-ginger mix. The 25% fruit juice also must be coming into play, but I can't quite put my finger on that as easily. Perhaps I taste it a bit in the aftertaste.

Overall, this is a great drink and has a more "natural" feel to it. I would recommend it as a standalone ginger beer, but part of me almost wishes for more bite, but perhaps that is just the new ginger challenge arising within me. The burn stays with you, but is sort of a "slow burn," perhaps the desired effect for many connoisseurs. So although the punch was less than I expected, the lasting effects are definitely present. As far as the carbonation, I placed what was left of the bottle (after my taste review) in the fridge and after 24 hours without the cap on it still was fairly fizzy – impressive.

In the end, chalk this ginger brew up as a win!

Full Disclosure: This beverage was provided compliments of Old 52 General Store

• Reed's Extra Ginger Brew @ Old 52

Continuing our journey through old time soda enjoyment thanks to the folks at Old 52 General Store, today we look at Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer.

Cock 'n Bull has been around since 1946, per the callout on bottle, denoting this as "The Extra Ginger Soft Drink." That's about all I can tell you, since their their website is currently under construction. However, if you poke around the 'net for information, you might happen upon this story:

Once upon a time, say, back in the 1940s, vodka was little known in the United States, and gin reigned supreme as the clear spirit of choice. A gentleman by the name of John G. Martin, president of G.F. Hueblein Brothers, Inc., had a wild notion. He bought a vodka distiller, and acquired a vodka recipe that had belonged to a Russian family named Smirnov. Martin was sure everyone would love it.

Unfortunately, Martin was a man ahead of his time. Vodka wasn't a smash hit. In fact, he had a hard time giving the stuff away, and he hit the road on a sales trip. He made it to Hollywood, where he stopped at the Cock 'n' Bull for a bite to eat. He struck up a conversation with the owner, Jack Morgan, and learned that Morgan had a white elephant of his own, the ginger beer he made on the side.

The final ingredient in their marketing scheme involved a friend of Morgan's. She had inherited a copper factory, and had an abundance of copper cups to offload. They decided to sell and serve a new cocktail in one of the copper cups, engraved with the picture of a kicking mule.

The 12 oz bottle is dark brown with painted labeling, a huge plus for me as I prefer it to the paper labels, especially if you are interested in saving the bottle. On the back of the label there is even a recipe for a Moscow Mule, thus hinting that this ginger beer works as a mixer as well. The cap is a twist off, although that doesn't seem to be clear from the packaging.

Moving to the contents, the ingredient list reads as follows: Carbonated Water, Real Sugar, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, and less than 1/10 of 1% Sodium Benzoate as a preservative. A 12 oz bottle contains 140 calories, 40 mg sodium, and 35 g carbs (35 g sugar).

After opening the cap, there's a whiff of intense ginger aroma, a good sign for a soda that bills itself as having "Extra Ginger." Upon first taste, I sense sweetness mixed with ginger; the carbonation is not overly heavy. In fact, the first aftertaste is a sweet one, but that clears very quickly. Then the burn sets in. It's a good burn for those that like ginger and there is definitely a noticeable quantity of ginger to be had. I sense a slight clearing in my sinuses.

The color of the liquid is slightly hazy and golden, what you might expect out of a ginger ale/beer although definitely cloudier than some, at least to my recollection. Honestly, the drink itself doesn't scream ginger until the aftertaste sets in. I suspect that is what separates true ginger ale enthusiasts from those that want to grab a typical store brand.

Overall, I like it. The burn is good, and I would definitely drink it again if offered. I also enjoy the fact that it might actually help settle my stomach, if needed, as ginger has some health benefits. For those used to typical mainstream ginger ale, such as Canada Dry, this might be too "gingery" for their taste, but still worth a try (the rhyme there was not intentional, but I figure I'll point it out). I do like the fact that they actually use ginger in a noticeable quantity. In the end, I would recommend it; real sugar combined with heavy ginger makes for a winner, but again, those not used to the burn of a ginger beer might want to be warned.

Full Disclosure: This beverage was provided compliments of Old 52 General Store

• Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer @ Old 52

If you are curious about the history of these products, I point you to our review of Original Ginger Ale which provides much of the backstory (plus, it saves me a lot of extra typing!) In the same vein as the original flavor, this version featuring "Pomegranante with Hibiscus" is also made of top quality ingredients and hand crafted brewing by Mr. Cost himself… except now we have flavor!

The dark red color indicates a different experience right away (though you still have the familiar bits of floating ginger in the bottle). When talking to Mr. Cost at the food show, he mentioned that the Pomegranate flavor was very popular because it tended to cut down on the bitterness that the Original flavor showcased, which appealed to a different group of fans. The bite is still there, but it's tapered a bit with the fruit flavoring.

This time around, when you crack open a bottle you are greeted by a strong ginger smell… with something else. There's a bit of cherry-ish scent present. It's subtle, but pleasant. And of course it feels right at home with the minimalist package design and 12 oz. glass bottle.

When you take that first sip, you are in for a surprise. It's smooth and refreshing at first… then the spicy ginger flavor hits you! It's a great combination of opposite senses, and believe it or not, this works. The flavor is clean, natural, crisp, quenching, and biting all at the same time. It's great!

Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale – Pomegranate
Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, 100% fresh ginger, pomegranate puree, brewed hibiscus with filtered water, fresh lemon juice, and citric acid

A 12 oz. bottle features 160 calories, 10 mg sodium, 41 g carbs (37 g sugars), and even includes 6% of your recommended daily dosage of Vitamin C and 10% of iron.

As we said in our review of the Original flavor, this is perhaps the best ginger ale we've ever tasted. The Pomegranate flavor extends our love in a more flavorful way.

Official Website: FreshGingerAle.com

Mr. Cost started the Big Bowl and Wow Bao restaurants in Chicago with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in 1995. Almost a decade earlier, he authored a book entitled Ginger East to West that is best described as a cookbook that traces the history of ginger and the associated drink itself.

At his 11 restaurant locations, they started making ginger ale from scratch and serving it to customers, selling an estimated 3 million drinks (per their website). Based on this success, he recently partnered with a Brooklyn, NY-based bottler to bring the product to market.

Sampling at the NRA show

The result is the Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale brand, available in Original, Jasmine Green Tea, and Pomegranate flavors. Our 12 oz. glass bottle of Original Ginger flavor features very "earthy" branding, with simple label design that reflects a homemade nature. The coloring of the beverage is on par with the yellowish hue that might be associated with lemonade.

Ginger particles float in this drink

The label clearly denotes that this drink is "Unfiltered" and that's very much true. You can actually see ginger floating around inside the bottle, which is why they also note on the label that "Separation is natural. Shake gently."

This drink is pretty basic in ingredients:

Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale – Original
Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, 100% fresh ginger, and citric acid

That's it, but the combination and dosage of these ingredients make something quite magical.

Now real ginger ale is nothing like the standard stuff you see on the shelf from the likes of Canada Dry, Schweppes, or Seagram's. We've tasted quite a few in the past, including Boylan Bottleworks Ginger Ale, Krest Ginger Ale, Canada Dry Cranberry Ginger Ale, and Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale. There are quite a few authentic tasting brands out there a well, some featuring that "spicy, burning" sensation that is typically associated with a quality ginger ale.

What's unique about Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale, aside from its strong ginger scent, is that it manages to actually make the tasting experience smooth and subtle… with just a nice touch of burn in the back of your throat during the aftertaste. A nicely chilled bottle of this stuff really does an impressive job providing a refreshing experience. It tastes clean, natural, and quite different from most products you associate with the genre. That can probably be attributed to the deep knowledge that founder Bruce Cost has with the subject matter of ginger. His ability to bend it to work for his tastes is evident. The use of cane sugar is icing on the cake, and surprisingly, doesn't make the drink too sweet like a Jones Soda product might. Since each batch is created "by hand", there is the possibility that different bottling runs will have distinct tastes.

A 12 oz. bottle features 160 calories, 40 g carbs (37 g sugars), and even includes 6% of your recommended daily dosage of Vitamin C and 10% of iron.

Overall, Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale Original by Bruce Cost is one outstanding beverage. The distinctive ginger taste, pure ingredients, quality mouthfeel, and "refreshing" factor make this one of our favorites in the ginger ale category. Distribution is limited, with availability in New York and some other states, so it may be a challenge to track down. However, if you do, it's well worth it. This stuff is quite the treat!

Official Website: FreshGingerAle.com

Now, Ale-8-One is a ginger ale that appears to be passionately loved by folks in the Bluegrass state and surrounding areas. For one thing, it's a locally-produced product (Winchester, Kentucky) that has limited distribution, thus the regional appeal. It has a funky name, which according to the drink's official website, "was adopted as a pun of its description as the latest thing in soft drinks," i.e. a play on the phrase "A Late One" in 1926. Additionally, this drink contains caffeine, which is rather odd for a ginger ale-type beverage. Finally, the drink seems to be used as a mixer with many alcoholic products, specifically bourbon and vodka. (We won't even explore the fact that it is also part of a branded salsa and barbecue sauce product line!)

The drink is currently available in a few packaging formats. The preferred version is a 12 oz. glass bottle, though it's also recently been made available in the standard 20 oz. plastic bottle as well. A diet derivative is also in the marketplace.

Upon opening the bottle, you'll notice a drink that pretty much smells like any other ginger ale. Looks pretty much the same as well… cloudy, yellowish, bubbly. As for the taste, it's not bad. However, I didn't notice anything particularly special that would set apart Ale-8-One from similar products. The texture was flatter, i.e. less carbonation. The flavor combinations were cleaner and tasted more authentic when it come to it's ginger/citrus aspect. The ingredient list on my bottle noted that it was sweetened with "sugar and/or corn sweetener", so it's rather hard to tell if this had high fructose corn syrup in it or not. The clean taste would seem to indicate no HFCS, but again, I have no way of proving that.

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Ale-8-One
Carbonated water, sugar and/or corn sweetener, glycerine, natural and artificial flavorings, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preservative), caramel coloring, phosphoric acid, caffeine

A 8 oz. serving will cost you 80 calories, 10 mg of sodium, and 20 g of sugars. The caffeine content breaks down to , which translates down to 3.1 mg/oz. For comparison, Mountain Dew has 4.5 mg/oz. More interestingly, the diet version contains more caffeine, featuring 3.7 mg/oz.

Apparently, this beverage was featured in the 2005 film Elizabethtown featuring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. I've never seen it, but if you do, I guess look out for the drink!

Overall, Ale-8-One is pretty good. It offers nothing by way of taste to set it apart from other products in the marketplace, but does provide a infusion of caffeine that may be desired by some consumers. I applaud its localized appeal and passionate history, though I can't see it becoming more than just a regional brand.

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With the increase in teas showing up on the beverage market these days, it's interesting to see how the more "traditional" producers of carbonated soft drinks adapt to these trends. In this case, Canada Dry has combined what they do best and created what they call "a refreshing blend of green tea and ginger ale." And I agree with that assessment.

If there ever was a drink that really was a split personality, Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale is it. There aren't that many drinks out there that are so much ginger ale AND so much green tea, but this beverage does that. Sure, you could say it's pretty much carbonated green tea, but the ginger ale elements really come through. It's an odd combination, that's for sure, but it just works.

Bilingual Label: English

I don't consider myself a green tea connoisseur, so the experience was a bit different for me, but I did enjoy the unique blend of flavors. It's a clean drink that has a distinct green tea sent when you first open the bottle (in my case, a 1.5 liter bottle). The color is on the clearish side, with a hazy yellow/green that you typically associate with ginger ale.

As for the taste, it leans more to the green tea side of things, but there's an obvious influx of ginger ale. The aftertaste also wasn't too syrupy, but the tea flavor does seem to last with you. The ingredients note the sweetener is "sugar/glucose-fructose", whereas in the U.S. it's listed as "high fructose corn syrup", so that may have some influence on the overall taste experience.

Bilingual Label: French

Thanks to the folks over at the Lesley Eats blog, we know that this drink does contain caffeine, which translates down to 0.83 mg/oz. For comparison, Mountain Dew has at 4.5 mg/oz. So while not completely caffeine-free, it's a pretty small amount, probably associated with the green tea. The packaging also makes a big deal about containing "52 mg of polyphenols per 250 mL serving". According to Wikipedia, "research indicates that polyphenols may have antioxidant characteristics with potential health benefits. They may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer."

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale
Carbonated water, sugar/glucose-fructose, citric acid, natural flavors, green tea, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, calcium disodium EDTA.

A 250 mL (8.5 oz.) serving will cost you 100 calories, 55 mg of sodium, and 26 g of sugars.

Overall, Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale is a refreshing change of pace, bringing two light flavors together with a blend that rewards your sense of adventure, while providing just a darn good drink to experience.

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This product is actually made by Dr Pepper/Seven Up, which was purchased by Cadbury Schweppes along with Mott's and Snapple, to become Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, which was merged with the larger conglomerate a few years ago, only to be demerged this year while the parent company focuses on their confectionery business without the distraction of soft drinks. Thus, it will now belong to the new Dr Pepper Snapple group of the company, going public as a standalone unit in 2008. Confused yet? It gets worse. My 2-liter of Canada Dry Cranberry Ginger Ale was actually bottled by Coke. Crazy!

While this flavor is available year-round in some sections of the country, it tends to make seasonal appearances around the holidays, predating other "light" Christmas flavors like Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash and Pomegranate 7Up. I had read that this particular flavor was rather good and was fortunate to find it stocked here in the Chicago area.

I must confess that my personal favorite as far as flavored ginger ales is Schweppes Raspberry Ginger Ale, so I was curious how this cranberry version would stack up. The packaging is attractive, dominated by Canada Dry's green color scheme, complete with their famed shield. There's a pink tint to the graphics to denote the cranberry color.

Speaking of color, the drink itself is far more red than pink, especially when compared to other competitors in this area. I found this to be rather enticing. I mean, who really wants to drink a pink beverage? The scent that emanates from the bottle is distinctly ginger ale, with just a hint of berryness. So far, so good.

As for the flavor, there's no mistaking the ginger ale roots here, but then you are pleasantly greeted by a distinctive influx of cranberry. It really does taste like someone mixed ginger ale and cranberry juice. Unlike the rather sweet tastes found with Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, Pomegranate 7Up, and even Schweppes Raspberry Ginger Ale, there's a muted flavor here. It's uniquely different, which we liked quite a bit. Something that stands on its own quite well, but could also be easily partaken with a meal or as part of a mixer. There's a very good base drink here.

The bottle notes that it contains less than 1% juice (which based on the ingredients, consists of "concentrated cranberry juice"). That same listing also notes that this drink is sweetened by your friend and mine (not!), high fructose corn syrup.

Overall, we liked Canada Dry Cranberry Ginger Ale quite a bit. It's a light, caffeine-free soda that distinctly separates itself from similar products. Highly recommended!

This is a beverage from the country of Mozambique, located in southeastern Africa. The official information panel above the fountain reads:

Ginger has long been used as a medicinal herb throughout Africa, so it is not surprising that Krest Ginger Ale is a popular drink in Mozambique.

Poking around the 'net a little, Krest Ginger Ale is also noted as being "a popular drink in shebeens (informal bars)". In any case, I obtained a sample from the fountain using the provided Coke-branded cups.

It has all the attributes you'd come to expect from a ginger ale, similar in makeup to Canada Dry and the like. Yellowish color, strong scent, bubbly. In the case of our sample, we found the drink to be clean and sweet, very crisp. I personally wonder if the fountain samples found at Club Cool were true to their original mixtures, namely using the local sweeteners like sugar vs. high fructose corn syrup. My assumption is yes.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Krest Ginger Ale. Very good.

Next on the list was Boylan Bottleworks Ginger Ale!

Since I'm a light sleeper, I try to cutoff my caffeine consumption pretty early in the day, meaning that if I do have a soft drink after that point, it's a caffeine free flavor such as a lemon lime or ginger ale. In fact, my favorite ginger ale is the flavored Schweppes Raspberry Ginger Ale, which unfortunately is only available in 2 liter bottles around here. Thus, any new caffeine free option that isn't Sprite or Sierra Mist is a welcome addition to the beverage landscape. (Thus why I so enjoyed the limited edition Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash last year.)

The Bottleworks line of drinks from Boylan pays tribute to the classic flavors that used to be found at soda fountains, featuring more of a purely mixed taste vs. the abundance of artificial flavors we get today. Here's how they describe the line on their website:

Although you are not old enough to remember, what are known today as "gourmet sodas" are actually replicas of old fashioned traditional beverages. At the turn of the century, these carbonated beverages first became popular at soda fountains where flavored syrups were mixed with seltzer water to product a refreshing treat.

However, their rise in popularity did not occur until the advent of modern bottling equipment. Throughout the 1940s and 50s it was not uncommon for a family to drive down to the local bottler and fill their crates with the different varieties of sodas. Unfortunately, this tradition was replaced by the 2-liter plastic bottle.

In keeping with our company's heritage, we at the Boylan Bottling Co. are proud to make available again the authentic, full flavored, high-quality beverages of yesteryear in traditional glass bottles.

The glass bottling is very sharp, as we mentioned in our first review. Boylan actually paints on the graphics to the bottles… no stickers or labels used. Very nice. Whereas the Black Cherry we first tested came in a clear bottle, the Ginger Ale flavor is housed in a green glass bottle. It obviously relays the idea of "ginger ale", but also in some ways hides the fact that this drink is rather clear in actual color. Carrying on the common feature found in the Bottleworks line, there are two "keywords" printed on the front of the bottle (near the main logo) that describe the taste of the drink. For Boylan Bottleworks Ginger Ale, those words are "PALE" and "DRY". I wholeheartedly agree with that description!

I was recently involved in a forum discussion on a beverage-related website that questioned whether that site's reviews should factor in the marketing and packaging of a drink vs. just focusing on the flavor. I tended to lean towards the former side of the coin, as marketing/packaging go a long way in establishing one's perception of a drink. Think about the classic battle between those who love Coke vs. those who love Pepsi. Now, you can't tell me that these 2 options are the best drinks on the planet, but because of the way they are marketed, that has gone a far way in shaping customers' views of the product… whether one drink is superior to the other or not.

Unfortunately, we don't all live in a world where "The Pepsi Challenge" is a reality and we can sample drinks in blind taste tests. Thus, that's why I choose to also include the promotional angle in my beverage reviews. And in the case of Boylan, they do a really nice job of playing up the "retro" aspect of their drinks. The wonderful feeling of drinking 12 oz. out of a glass bottle almost makes you forget that you paid a ton more for the privilege vs. a can of Coke. Instead, you get the perception that this is something special and worth the added expense.

As a limited-release drink, Boylan has done the smart thing and invested in a very decent website that allows them to sell to the customer through very solid copywriting. For example, here's how they pitch their Ginger Ale flavor:

Although the consumption of ginger ale has been in decline over the past 10 years, it is still a very popular flavor in New York City. Its mature characteristics – crisp, dry, and refreshing – are what makes it so popular. Unlike "ginger beers", it is not hot and spicy but rather pale and clean. We consider Boylan Bottleworks Ginger Ale to be the most drinkable product in our entire line of sodas.

So after reading all this fluff about the drink, you are probably wondering what the heck it actually tastes like. Well, I can answer that for you.

It's good!

As proclaimed on the bottle, the drink is both "pale" and "dry". The experience was very crisp and clean. That's one advantage of using real sugar as the sweetener. You can definitely tell a difference if you drank it side-by-side a HFCS-sweetened ginger ale. Because of this clean taste, the beverage is an excellent compliment to food… though it also does a great job of standing on its own. It's truly a refreshing experience.

I'm looking forward to my next Boylan experience already!