There are so many commercial variants of Ginger Ale in the market right now, claiming to be Ginger Ale...
But something is ale-ing us.
It's time that we come clean with the cold (pressed) truth.
But don't worry dear reader, in this blog we'll tell you how to:
- Identify if your Ginger Ale is made with real ginger or not, &
- How to tell if your Ginger Ale has been artificially carbonated or naturally fermented.
🫚 What is Ginger Ale?
First things first. Let's get some basics out of our way.
Ginger Ale is a non-alcoholic carbonated drink, of which the predominating flavour & fiery punch is derived mainly from ginger.
It's a refreshing drink, which can be enjoyed any time of the day.
🥂 How do you drink Ginger Ale?
Ginger Ale can be enjoyed straight-up out of the bottle, or as a mixer in a variety of cocktails & mocktails.
Check out 2 of our recipes below:
- Ginger Ale Cocktail (Moscow Mule)
- Ginger Ale Mocktail (The Sipper)
That you can whip up from the comfort of your home with our Ginger Ale.
👅 How does Ginger Ale taste?
Ginger Ale is a refreshing fizzy, sweet & spicy drink.
Our Ginger Ale is a delicious drink which has sharp notes of ginger, providing a satisfying "punch".
It has distinct notes of fresh, fiery & full-bodied ginger as we use 100% natural cold-pressed ginger juice.
LFC Ginger Ale is also more complex tasting as we ferment it in-house, resulting in a distinct crisp mouth-feel due to our natural carbonation process.
🫙 How do you make Ginger Ale?
You can make a simple one at home with freshly grated ginger, sugar, & club soda.
While we love this - this drink lacks the complexity of the traditional recipe.
The more traditional recipe calls for fermenting ginger root with water & sugar (plus, a lot of time & patience!).
At Local Ferment Co, we still make our Ginger Ale by fermenting 100% natural cold-pressed ginger juice.
However, most modern Ginger Ales that you get on the market don't even use actual ginger 👀
Companies claim to use "real ginger", but they don't. They merely flavour their Ginger Ale with:
- Natural flavouring agents
- Artificial flavours, chemical colours, & additives
Companies opt for the above additives & agents because it is cheaper & faster to produce Ginger Ale this way, especially at scale.
🧪 What are artificial flavours?
Artificial flavours are not extracted from nature but rather re-produced in the lab.
These flavours use chemical compounds that merely mimic the taste of say, original ginger root, in this case. No natural ginger is used here.
🍎 What are natural flavouring substances?
Meanwhile, in natural flavouring substances - some ginger is used.
Natural flavouring substances are defined as, "A substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, etc.) or animals."
Now there is nothing wrong with using either naturally flavouring agents or artificial chemicals to flavour Ginger Ale. Except that you're not getting the real deal.
Very often, even when natural flavouring agents are used to flavour Ginger Ale - very little real ginger is used.
Allow us to pull up the receipts.
👩🏻🦯 How Commercial Cans Con Us
Recently, there was a lawsuit against a popular Canadian Ginger Ale brand.
The brand's tagline was that it uses real ginger.
Research showed that it contained only a "minuscule amount of ginger flavour extract".
Lab reports proved that the actual ginger compound content was at two parts per million.
To put it into context:"One drop fills 70 cans [...] & a drop is .05 ml. So that's how little, even of the concentrate, is actually in one drink."
Finally, the Canadian company had to drop the claim that it is “Made from Real Ginger”. The company paid a $200,000 (INR. 12 CR.) settlement on account of false & misleading advertising.
🤫 Our Ginger Ale Recipe & Ginger Ale Ingredients
At Local Ferment Co., you can rest assured that our Ginger Ale does actually contain real ginger.
Our Ginger Ale contains only:
- 100% real ginger juice, cold-pressed from fresh ginger root,
- Organic cane sugar, procured from USDA certified organic farmers in India, &
- R.O. water
If you're opting for our Kaffir Lime Ginger Ale, we additionally infuse the Ginger Ale with fragrant Kaffir Lime leaves. This rounds off the flavour & balances the spicy punch from the ginger.
And nothing else! Yup, not even preservatives.
This is because we pasteurise our Ginger Ale to prevent it from going bad. So there is no need to add preservatives at all. In fact, you can store it at room temperature for up to 1 year. Of course, we always recommend serving it chilled.
So how does our Ginger Ale taste so good when we use such simple, basic ingredients?
The secret to our complex tasting notes is our natural fermentation process.
🫧 What's Brewing?
Most commercial Ginger Ales force carbonate their drinks, pumping carbon dioxide into bottles & cans.
At Local Ferment Co., our Ginger Ale is complex & crisp due to our in-house fermentation process. We ferment fresh ginger juice, organic cane sugar, & water till it naturally becomes bubbly.
This gives our Ginger Ale a distinct fizzy taste, with micro bubbles that dance on the top of your tongue!
Our Ginger Ale is made in small artisanal batches to ensure that each batch has the best brew.
🔎 How can you tell if your Ginger Ale uses real ginger & is naturally fermented?
Now there are several brands that sell Ginger Ale in India. How can you tell if your Ginger Ale is made by fermenting real ginger?
There are 2 tests you can use to determine if your Ginger Ale is au naturale.
- Read the Label
For starters - you can read the back of the label. Make sure the label has no additive colours, preservatives, or flavours.
Also make sure that it does not have artificial sugars like corn syrup or fructose.
As mentioned above, while Ginger Ale may be flavoured with "naturally flavouring substances" - often the amount of real ginger used is extremely miniscule.
When companies use artificial flavours - there is zero real ginger - only chemicals that mimic the taste of ginger.
Our philosophy is simple. Get to the root of it & get the real deal.
It's always better to go for Ginger Ales that only list ginger or ginger juice as flavouring agents.
2. Fizz Test
While there is nothing wrong with artificial carbonation - natural fermentation provides a more superior mouthfeel.
There is a simple test to determine if your Ginger Ale is naturally fermented or artificially carbonated.
Pour your Ginger Ale into a transparent glass. When you carbonate a beverage naturally, you can spot tiny micro bubbles settled at the base of the glass. If your drink has artificial carbonation - you will find big bubbles fizzing to the surface.
For example: When you pour your Local Ferment Co. Ginger Ale in a glass, you can spot tiny micro bubbles at the bottom.
So you have to see see it to believe it! 👁️ 👅 👁️
Or rather taste our Ginger Ale, to experience the difference natural fermentation makes!
✍🏽 Recap of What They Don't Want You to Know:
Most commercial cans of Ginger Ale:
- Don't even use real ginger.
- Use natural flavouring substances or use artificial flavours, colours & additives.
- Are artificially carbonated.
Pick better alternatives like Local Ferment Co.'s Ginger Ale which:
- Uses fresh, 100% real cold-pressed ginger juice.
- Doesn't use artificial flavours, colours, additives, or natural flavouring substances.
- Is naturally fermented & carbonated, resulting in a more complex flavour & a richer, fizzier mouth-feel.
You can check if your Ginger Ale has natural ginger or not by reading the label or by pouring it into a clear glass to see if there are small micro-bubbles at the bottom.
So do you want to taste what Ginger Ale made with 100% real ginger tastes like?
Do you want to experience the fiery, complex flavour notes that come from patiently fermenting Ginger Ale for a long time?
Try our 100% all natural Ginger Ale which is handcrafted, not manufactured.
🫶🏽 Where can I get Local Ferment Co. Ginger Ale near me?
You can get our Ginger Ale bottles pan-India on our:
If you are in Bangalore, you can also order Ginger Ale through Swiggy & Zomato. Get it in just 20-30 mins!
💰 Ginger Ale Price:
Our Ginger Ale bottle is only Rs. 120 for 330 ml.
If you order a pack of 6, it is only Rs. 100 per bottle. Ka-ching!
🙌🏽 Ginger Ale Calories:
Our Ginger Ale has only 34 calories per serving of 100 ml.
So sit back, relax & open a bottle of our all natural Ginger Ale made with real, authentic ginger & through natural fermentation.
Sources:
- https://www.thedailymeal.com/1273131/ginger-ale-drink-made-root-vegetable-name/
- https://www.foodandwine.com/news/ginger-ale-canada-dry-medicine-settlement
- https://nationalpost.com/life/food/facing-false-advertising-lawsuits-canada-dry-drops-claim-it-is-made-from-real-ginger
- https://www.bhg.com/recipes/healthy/eating/what-is-natural-flavor/#:~:text=The%20term%20natural%20flavor%20or,products%2C%20eggs%2C%20etc.)
- https://nutrisci.wisc.edu/2021/07/26/natural-and-artificial-flavors/#:~:text=Artificial%20flavors%20are%20then%20those,as%20the%20naturally%20occurring%20ones!
