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Because it’s not a traditional soda, ginger beer often lacks some of the fizz of other soft drinks. That’s not the case with Maine Root Ginger Brew. It provides plenty of bubbles and just-right taste.
“This has great ginger flavor without being overwhelmingly sweet,” Sarah Tramonte in the Test Kitchen explains. “And it has a really good amount of carbonation.”
The flavor in this soda is very much that of fresh ginger with some slight herbaceousness to it—our team suspects that’s from fresh (rather than crystallized or powdered) ginger. The heat with this sipper lingers but it isn’t overpowering. If you ask the Test Kitchen’s Mark Neugang, this quality makes it an excellent option for serving cold over heaps of ice. It’d be refreshing after a day in the sun.
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If you like a little bit of sugar with your spice, make sure you’re stocking up on Fever-Tree Ginger Beer.
At first sip, you get the sweetness and bubbles that you may expect from a classic ginger ale. After another try, you’ll find that it has some spicy ginger flavor that lingers for a second or two. “It’s sweet, but a balanced sweet,” says Shannon. “It’s also sharp with the right amount of mild ginger flavor.”
Because it’s not as strong as some of our other best ginger beer picks, Fever-Tree is a good option for those who are new to this beverage.
How We Tested Ginger Beer
For this taste test, our team shopped for 10 different types of ginger beer.
For the record, ginger beer is a nonalcoholic beverage that’s made with water, ginger and sugar; it’s then fermented with yeast, carbonated and bottled. The result is an exceptionally gingery soft drink with a bit of a bite. Our team kept this in mind as they sipped each brand.
As always, the identity of each bottle was kept a secret until after testing was completed. The 10 ginger beer brands were judged according to two categories:
- Bubbles:Â While not as fizz-forward as ginger ale, ginger beer should have enough bubbles to tickle your nose and satisfy your craving for carbonation.
- Flavor:Â Our team is looking for snappy, bright ginger with a touch of heat. There should be sweetness in this drink, of course, but fresh ginger must be the star of the show.
So which brands make the best ginger beer? Check out our pros’ picks below.
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing food, kitchen gadgets and cleaning gear looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test Kitchen-Preferred.
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