I found this ginger beer at Drink Art Bar the first time I went there for poetry night.
This one has a slightly sour taste, so it’s not quite as sweet as I would like, but the level of spice is just right!
Category: Booze Alternatives
Booze Alternative: Schweppes Ginger Beer
Who knew there were so many ginger beers in the world? I didn’t. This is another one I discovered when Mum and Dad were in town last month.
This one tastes kind of retro. I can’t really explain it. It just sort of…reminds me of something that I maybe drank a very long time ago, when I was very young. I think I need a few more of these to try and work it out.
Booze Alternative: Cawston Press Ginger Beer
This is a ginger beer I tried last month when out and about in Northumbria with Mum and Dad.
This one’s not very spicy or sweet, but it was nice and refreshing for an afternoon drink. It’s also not too calorific!
Booze Alternative: Fever Tree Ginger Beer
About a week after trying the Fever Tree ginger ale, I found their ginger beer in the Holiday Inn bar in central Newcastle.
This one’s much tastier than the ale, with a nice sweet ‘n’ sour tang. There’s a lot of spice in its bubbles, which means I can’t put my head near it without coughing when it’s freshly poured, but after a few minutes I can drink it without a problem. It just needs to ‘sit’ for a while!
Booze Alternative: Pret A Manger Ginger Beer
It’s yet another ginger beer! We first found these in the Pret A Manger at Leeds train station, and Geth has been bringing them back for me from town ever since.
This one is gorgeously sweet – probably the sweetest of the ginger beers I’ve tried so far. It does make me cough a bit with its spiciness, but it’s a lovely taste overall.
Booze Alternative: Fever Tree Ginger Ale
Fever Tree is one of those companies that makes both a ginger ale and a ginger beer. The ginger beer review is not far off, but the first one I tried was the ale, which was on the menu when Geth and I went to Livin’ Italy in Leeds last month.
It had a nice taste, but it was a little weak for my liking, which I’m finding has been the case with the ales. A pleasant option though.
Booze Alternative: Belvoir Ginger Beer
Ginger ales and beers are going to be a bit of a theme for this series. I really like the taste, and am trying every single one I see in bars and shops, and there’s a lot of them.
In general, I’m finding that the beers taste stronger than the ales. Belvoir Ginger Beer is no exception.
This one is similar to Fentimans Ginger Beer in that it’s very tasty, but the spiciness makes me cough and so I can’t drink it too quickly. It’s lovely and sweet though!
Booze Alternative: Fentimans Cherry Cola
Another flavour of Fentimans that I found on the supermarket shelf!
I’ve never really liked cherry cola that much, I have to say. Even if it is the drink of choice for the brand-censored ‘Lola’ in the classic Kinks song (one of the reasons I prefer the uncensored original). However, I’ve got my usual ‘collect the set’ mentality when it comes to Fentimans, so I thought I’d give it a go.
And the verdict is…nope, still don’t like cherry cola. Can’t win ’em all!
Booze Alternative: Fentimans Rose Lemonade
There are what seems like hundreds of different flavours of Fentimans, and I am on a mission to try them all. I picked Rose Lemonade off the supermarket shelf ahead of any of the others, though, because it was pink. So very pink and pretty.
It tastes like Turkish Delight in a bottle. OMG.
I already know this is going to be a real favourite when I’ve settled down with my drinks selection and stopped feeling the need to try something new every weekend!
Booze Alternative: Britvic Ginger Beer
Over the last month and a bit, I’ve tried quite a few ginger beers and ales, and I’ve discovered that there are two things I prefer in this particular subgroup of beverages:
- A sweet and strong taste.
- Just enough spice to add nicely to the above without causing me to have a coughing fit while drinking it.
Britvic Ginger Beer, I have found, fits both criteria beautifully.
I first tried this one in the bar at the Red Lion in Newburgh, where we were staying for Jen’s 30th birthday a few weeks ago. There was a bit of confusion, because the bar had both Britvic Ginger Beer and Britvic Ginger Ale, but according to the barman it was definitely the ginger beer that I had. Anyway, it was delicious, and so when we were in Leeds last Saturday night, I was delighted when Geth returned from the hotel bar with another bottle so that I could try it again.
It was still the tastiest of ginger beers, so I will continue to look out for it wherever I go!