A. J. Stephans Birch Beer

I've has this bottle of A.J. Stephan's Birch Beer in my fridge for a while now. It's something Mr. Brown bought from one of the shops on the marina in Long Beach. He and I were going to share it, but never got around to it. This was a particularly bad week and I decided it was the right time to open it up. 

First of all, this was the first birch beer I've ever had that was clear and it was crystal clear. After pouring it out into my beer tasting glass it only took a few seconds to clear the bubbles and then it was just like a glass of water. I don't know why that bothered me so much, but it did. Maybe it's because it got my brain thinking of all the bleaching chemicals that went into it that made it clear, or even worse, all the dyes that went into all the previous birch beers I've had to make them brown. Either way, this wasn't an easy beverage.

The taste was a that of birch beer, which if you don't know is kind of like root beer, but with a splash of a medicinal, Pepto Bismo-like flavor. An important fact to note: I like the way Pepto Bismo tastes. In fact, after some research, I discovered that the original Pepto Bismol formula is flavored with wintergreen, a flavor which can also be derived from teaberry and birch bark! 

So with that in mind, this one was a little too sweet for my tastes.  I don't see myself buying another bottle of this stuff. Sorry, Mr. Stephan. You wouldn't happen to have a plumber in your family? Just a thought.

Reed's Original Ginger Brew

A friend and I went out for Indian food one, fine, sunny day, and they ordered a ginger beer as an accompanying beverage. I knew I must have tried it at least once, but I couldn’t remember if I liked ginger beer or not. So I decided to order one, too. The restaurant had two kinds of the same brand, Reed’s Original Ginger Brew, so I went with the lighter one, just in case.

“OU-LA-LA!” said my tongue! It was delicious, crisp and refreshing. Perfect for sitting outside and looking at passerbys on fine, sunny days.

After inspecting the label more thoroughly, I discovered the difference between the two bottles: One was red and held Ginger Beer, the other was yellow and held Ginger Ale. I had the ginger ale. I am already a fan of ginger ale and of course enjoy Canada Dry, but I have come across some other brands, micro brews and homemade ginger ales that are just fantastic. Reed’s All Natural Jamaican Style ginger ale was different than most ginger ales. It still had the basic flavor, but it tastes like it has some spice to it, maybe cloves or allspice… definitely sensed a hint of a mulling flavor, which was a much welcome and pleasing addition.

Reed’s All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Beer, which my friend let me taste, has a deeper, richer flavor. Maybe ginger beer brews longer than ale. I’ll have to do my research about that. I liked it, but I’m still a ginger ale girl!

Addendum August 31, 2012:

Reed's All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Beer is available at Trader Joe's and has been my summer refresher beverage for the past couple of super hot weeks we've been experiencing in Southern California. Whole Foods carries the Ginger Ale, but I don't make it there quite as often as TJ's.