Ginger ale

Ginger ale

Vernors golden ginger ale
Type	Non-alcoholic mixed drink
Country of origin	United Kingdom and Canada
Region of origin	Northern Ireland
Introduced	1851
Proof (US)	0%
Colour	Golden
Flavour	Ginger
Variants	Golden ginger ale and dry ginger ale

Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph Cantrell. The dry style (also called the pale style), a paler drink with a much milder ginger flavour, was created by Canadian John McLaughlin.

History[]

Thomas Joseph Cantrell, an Irish apothecary and surgeon, manufactured the first ginger ale in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 1850s. This was the older golden style fermented ginger ale, dark coloured, generally sweet to taste, with a strong ginger spice flavour,^{[clarification needed]} which he marketed through local beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company.^[1] Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles.^[2] Ginger ale is transparent, whereas ginger beer, a stronger tasting product, is often cloudy due to the residues of brewing.

Dry ginger ale was created by Canadian John J. McLaughlin, a chemist and pharmacist.^[3] Having established a soda water bottling plant in 1890, McLaughlin began developing flavour extracts to add to the water in 1904. That year, he introduced "Pale Dry Ginger Ale", the bubbly drink that would be patented in 1907 as "Canada Dry Ginger Ale". A success, Canada Dry products were accepted by appointment to the Vice-Regal Household of the Governor General of Canada. The dry-style also became popular in the United States during the Prohibition era, when it was used as a mixer for alcoholic beverages^{[citation needed]}.

Ingredients[]

Traditional ginger ale is fermented from a microbial starter culture (yeast or ginger bug), sugar, fresh ginger root, other flavourings and water. Ginger bug can be derived from ginger beer plant containing Saccharomyces florentinus and Lactobacillus hilgardii or fresh ginger root containing Lactobacillus bacteria and wild yeast. The carbonation comes from the yeast fermentation as opposed to carbonating the finished product. Ethanol, as a byproduct of fermentation, will be present in the ginger ale but can be controlled by modifying fermentation time.

Commercial ginger ale commonly contains carbonated water, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial or natural ginger-flavour. Ginger content is often listed on labels in a general "natural aroma" or "natural flavoring" statement, to preserve secrecy of the complex proprietary mix of spices, fruits and other flavours used;^{[citation needed]} lemon, lime, and cane sugar are the most common ingredients.^{[citation needed]} Pineapple and honey are also occasionally used.^{[citation needed]}

Processing[]

Fermentation[]

Traditional ginger ale is fermented using ginger, yeast (or ginger bug),^{[4][clarification needed]} water, sugar, and possibly other flavourings. Sugar isn't added simply for sweetness; ginger's low natural sugar content (1.7g sugar/100g) does not contain enough to complete fermentation.^[5] Like other fermented beverages, sugar is fermented by the yeast into ethanol and carbon dioxide,^[6] Both retained during brewing in an airtight container.

Artificial carbonation[]

Rather than ferment their product, most commercial ginger ale bottlers will carbonate their soda by chilling the water to a low temperature to allow more carbon dioxide to be dissolved.^[7] Then, alkaline compounds such as sodium bicarbonate may be added to reduce acidity. Lastly, carbon dioxide is added and slightly over-pressurized to facilitate movement into storage and the filling machine.^[7]

Preservation[]

Since it lacks ethanol, commercial ginger ale must be preserved by a bactericide, Pasteurization, or regulating its pH level. Most commercial product is preserved by adding a solution of salicylic acid, which has bactericidal and antiseptic properties. Pasteurization is usually done with steam.^[8]

Canada Dry Ginger ale's acidic pH of 2.82 is due to the relatively high concentration of carbonic acid it contains, placing it well below the 4.6 threshold inhibiting microorganism growth in food products.^[9][8]

Uses[]

As a drink[]

Ginger ale is popular both as a soft drink and a mixer in cocktails and punch. It is sometimes used by non-drinkers or in the performing arts as a non-alcoholic substitute for champagne or beer, since the beverages resemble each other in appearance. Ginger ale is also added to beer to make shandy.^[10]

As a stomach palliative[]

Ginger ale, as with other ginger products and other non-ginger-flavored carbonated beverages, is often recommended as a home remedy for indigestion^[11] and motion sickness.^[12] It is also used to soothe coughs and sore throats.^[13]

Nutrition[]

Ginger ale is usually acceptable for people on a clear liquid diet.^[14] It is generally high in sugar, with commercial varieties containing around 10 g of sugar per 100 ml.^[15]

Variations[]

Ginger ale vs ginger beer[]

Ginger ale and ginger beer are similar beverages, however, there are clear differences during the process. Ginger beer originated in England in the 1800s while ginger ale was founded in Ireland approximately 50 years later before it was modernized in 1907 by John McLaughlin.^[16] Original ginger beer contains 11% alcohol, but modern ginger beer contains less than 0.5% alcohol while modern ginger ale has absolutely no alcohol content.^[17] Ginger beer is brewed with natural ginger, lemon juice, sugar and it is fermented with a ginger beer plant culture (mainly lactobacillus). The fermentation of the lactobacillus produces a cloudy appearance, stronger-tasting and spicier flavour compared to ginger ale. Other differences between ginger ale and ginger beer are in terms of taste and aroma. While Ginger ale is mellow and smells sweet, ginger beer has a spicy whiff and gingery taste.^[18]

Other flavours[]

Dry ginger ale is also sold with a mint flavouring added. Some mint ginger ale brands have an artificial green colour added, while others are clear. Canada Dry has introduced a line of ginger ale mixed with green tea and one mixed with lemonade.^[when?] In selected Japanese vending machines, Canada Dry also offers hot ginger ale, which is the heated version of the original but still retains carbonation.^[19]

Manufacturers[]

Vernors, Blenheim, A-Treat, Bull's Head, Chelmsford, Buffalo Rock, Sussex and Red Rock are brands of golden ginger ale. Canada Dry, Schweppes, and Seagram's are major brands of dry ginger ale.

North America[]

American brands include Canfield's, Hansen Natural, Vernors, Buffalo Rock, Boylan Bottling Company, Polar Beverages, Ale-8-One, Blenheim, Foxon Park, Fitz's, Sprecher, Market Basket/Chelmsford, Red Rock, Reed's Ginger Brew, Chek (River of Dreams), Shasta, and in Canada; Sussex Golden Ginger Ale. Major global brands include Canada Dry, Seagram's, both Canadian companies, and Schweppes, founded in Geneva.

Vernors is a flavoured golden ginger ale aged for three years in oak barrels before bottling. It was the first U.S. soft drink, originating in 1866, although it was modelled on imported Irish ginger beers. In Detroit, Michigan, a drink made with vanilla ice cream and Vernors ginger ale is called a Boston cooler.

Blenheim is a golden ginger ale made in South Carolina; unlike most other brands, it is available in several degrees of spiciness: Old #3 Hot, #5 Not as Hot, and #9 Diet.^[20]

South America[]

• Cunnington

Asia[]

• Evervess
• East Imperial

See also[]

• Ginger beer
• Ginger tea
• Ginger wine
• List of brand name soft drinks products
• List of soft drink flavors
• List of soft drink producers
• List of soft drinks by country
• Switchel
• Reed's, Inc.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ginger ale.

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