Ginger Ale

Ginger Ale

 

Described as a carbonated soft drink, or in other words, a drink that does not contain alcohol, is best served cold, and has carbon dioxide dissolved in the solution. It also has the distinct taste of ginger, also known as “root ginger” or zingiber officinale, which also gives the drink the name.

 

There are two typed of ginger ale.

 

The first variety is known as golden ginger ale, which has a dark color, strong flavor and is the older style of ginger ale, this drink is believed to originate from Eastern Europe where it has been manufactured and known of for centuries.

 

The second variety of ginger ale is known as dry ginger ale, this is the more popular type today and the first time it was used was during Prohibition in the United States as a mixer in alcoholic beverages.

 

Major brands of golden ginger ale are:

Vernors, Blenheim, A-Treat, Bull's Head, Chelmsford, and Red Rock.

 

Large brands manufacturing dry ginger ale are:

Canada Dry, Schweppes, and Seagram's.

 

The ingredients of ginger ale are commonly ginger, sugar, and carbonated water, other, less common ingredients, include yeast, pineapple, honey, and to save production costs most commercially manufactured ginger ale also include high-fructose corn syrup AKA HFCS.

 

Ginger ale is commonly used as a home remedy to treat motion sickness, upset stomachs, coughs and sore throats, it is even more commonly used as an ingredient for different mixed drinks, especially non-alcoholic mixed drinks. It is of course not only used for non-alcoholic mixed drinks, in fact, it is a known ingredient in at least 212 official drinks, and is commonly mixed with most hard liquors, beer, and wine. However, it is seldom mixed with alcoholic beverages using milk as a base, such as Kahlúa or Baileys Irish Cream.