The best ginger beers are cool, refreshing drinks that make the heat of a summer day seem to fade away with a delightful effervescence and the taste of real ginger, that you won’t find anywhere else—especially in mass-produced ginger ale. Ginger beer is also the mixer of choice for a Moscow Mule—a cocktail going through a major revival.
Good Ginger Beer Is Cloudy
The most important thing to look for in a really good ginger beer is that it should have a cloudy appearance when poured into a glass. It should even appear chalky enough that you can’t see through the drink, and it should have a pale yellow coloring that distinctively assures you it’s not the weaker cousin, ginger ale.
Stay Away From Added Flavorings
Avoid varieties which are loaded with fruity flavorings, because all that syrup really gets in the way of tasting the wonderful ginger that true aficionados just adore. Check the ingredients listing to ensure that there isn’t much more than pure cane sugar, spring water, and of course ginger included in the beverage.
Freshness Is Key
Freshness counts a great deal in a good ginger beer, and you can determine freshness by observing that the ginger itself slowly settles to the bottom of a bottle, or when poured, to the bottom of a glass. This will ensure that you get the true taste of the most important ingredient, the ginger itself.
The Best Ginger Beer On Amazon
Bundaberg Ginger Beer
Estimated Price: $3.50/glass
Bundaberg is a fine Australian ginger beer, which undergoes a double distillation process as well as aging before being distributed for sale.
Its natural brewing process gives it an extremely smooth taste that never fails to delight.
Fentimans Ginger Beer
Estimated Price: $2.00/glass
The all-natural ingredients used in Fentimans ginger beer, coupled with the botanical brewing process, make this a very appealing choice for ginger beer lovers. It includes yarrow extract, select juniper, and of course premium Chinese ginger root to give it a unique ‘tickle and burn’ sensation as it is enjoyed.
Cawston Press Ginger Beer
Estimated Price: $5.00/glass
Recognized as a ‘fiery’ ginger beer, Cawston Press is concocted using only the finest ginger root, and is mixed with pressed apples for a lightly fruity flavor, along with the best spring water. All this gives it a dry sipping experience, as well as a distinctively warm, blooming sensation.
Fever-Tree Naturally Light Ginger Beer
Estimated Price: $3.00/glass
Enjoyed as both a standalone drink and as a cocktail mixer, Fever-Tree ginger beer is brewed with natural ginger root and no artificial flavorings, corn syrups, preservatives, or colorings to distract from the terrific ginger flavor.
This ginger beer is part of the Fever-Tree line of mixers, launched in 2005 by two UK entrepreneurs. As they say: “If 3/4 of a cocktail is the mixer, make sure you use the best.”
Rocky’s Ginger Beer — About $1/glass
Estimated Price: $1.00/glass
This is an all-natural ginger beer product, with no artificial flavorings, caffeine additives, or colorings. Rocky’s Ginger Beer is hand-crafted in very small batches to ensure that all product sold is of the finest quality, and stays true to its original reputation as one of the world’s best ginger beers. It includes triple-filtered water, natural cane sugar, and premium ginger root, which combine to give it a sweet and spicy bite in each sip.
