Reed's micro brewed ginger sodas

Spiced Apple Ginger Brew

Micro brewed spiced apple ginger soda

cost: under $2

Not too long ago, during a trip to a new Bulk Barn in our area, we found the Reed's brand of "ginger brew" pop.  This is a brand of  micro-brewed natural sodas and traditional Jamaican brews.  The old style sodas - the type you can make in your own kitchen (which we do intend to try out!) taste quite different from the large scale pops.  

We tried only one flavour the first time out and enjoyed it enough to head back and get two more to try.  The first taste test was of the Spiced Apple flavour.  The label boasts that it is made with 60% juice, which is actually higher than a lot of drinks "made with real fruit juice!" on the market.

In appearance, it has a deeper colour than a typical ginger ale.  We could smell both the apple and the ginger; it reminded my younger daughter of apple pie and Spindle found it reminded her of the spiced apple cider we sometimes make.

We all found it quite sweet, but not in an overpowering, cloying way.  All the promised flavours could be recognised.  It was very refreshing and delicious.  The label and company website boast about its ingredients, methods and care, and this is a drink that lives up to that promise.  So much so that we were really looking forward to trying new flavours.

Our next taste tests were for the Cherry and Raspberry flavours.  

Cherry is, I find, a difficult flavour to market, mostly because of its strong association with cough syrup.  It's hard to find a cherry flavoured drink that's doesn't make me think of cold medication.

Unlike the spiced apple, the cherry drink didn't really smell like the flavour it was supposed to be.  In fact, it didn't smell much of anything, reminding me somewhat of those flavoured waters.  Spindle found it reminded her of something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she found it rather tinny and gross.  In flavour, she found the ginger flavour more dominant than the cherry; something I didn't notice quite as much.  It was a take it or leave it sort of thing for her, while I quite enjoyed it.  Based on how faint the smell was, I was expecting far less flavour and was pleased to be wrong on that.  We both definitely noticed that it tasted like "cherry juice" rather than "cherry flavoured beverage."

The raspberry also had a distinct lack of scent to it and, like the cherry, the lack of scent belied the much more intense flavour.  We both liked it a lot.  Though Spindle still found the ginger flavour predominant, the raspberry flavour was nicely intense.

Of the three, the spiced apple was the overall favourite, with the raspberry running second place.  Definitely a drink we will be picking up again.

Cranberry Punch

To the Canadians out there, I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend.  For those of you in the US, I'd extend the same wishes for Columbus Day, but apparently that's not politically correct anymore.  *scratches head in confusion*

Years ago I discovered a ridiculously easy, delicious and beautiful punch that has regularly graced our table for special dinners.  It only requires three incredients.

cranberry juice

Ginger Ale

frozen berries

The cranberry juice can be from frozen concentrate, if you wish.  Pick the best quality brand of Ginger Ale - something that actually uses ginger in it, rather than relying on "natural flavours."  And forget about diet versions.  They suck.

But that might be just me.

For the punch, just mix equal quantities of cranberry juice and Ginger Ale (adjust ratio to taste), then add a generous amount of frozen berries.  The berries not only add flavour, but double as ice cubes.

The result is an effervescent and refreshing drink.  I don't even like Ginger Ale, but I love this drink.  It goes over well with the entire family, though my younger daughter isn't too keen on the wild berry mix I like to use.  She doesn't like blueberries, so she sneaks them out of her glass and into Spindle's when she's not looking.  Since Spindle like blueberries, that's hardly a problem. 

The bright red, sparkling carbonation and frozen berries makes it an attractive drink, too; perfect for festive occasions.  Or any occasions.  It's just really, really good.  Try it with a splash of orange juice, too.  Very nice.

Strawberry Früli.

At: Lazia

Cost: $4.25

Lazia doesn't carry many of my usual selections, so I did what I always do in such situations.

Pepper the staff with annoying questions.

What's a Strawberry Früli?

"Well, it's a white beer that's flavoured with strawberries."

Fascinating! Now what's a Kronenbourg 1664?

"It's... French."

Well it looks like the Kronenbourg will wait for another day. My Früli came with a cheerful label and a big glass tankard into which I dutifully poured it, revealing in the process a beautiful pink colour that is, sadly, not done any justice in the photograph.

The scent is sweet and has a definite note of berry. The taste is... oddly divisive.

I, enjoying beer as a whole, found it a bit baffling. My mother, not being particularly fond of beer, quite liked it.

The undisputed point: the Früli does not taste like beer at all.

Not to say it tastes bad, oh no. It's smooth and flavourful (with 30% pure strawberry juice. I think that's more than most actual packaged fruit-juice.) and makes me think of a rather pleasant cocktail. I would recommend it highly.

Just, you know, not if you're looking to drink beer.

Casal Domingo Light Wine Cooler

Casal Domingo

Light wine cooler

Wild Harvest Berry

"low alcohol wine beverage" .5% alcohol

Spindle asked me to write this review, what with my prior experience with wine coolers and all.  Uhm... sure.  *scratches head*

I actually remember when vodka and wine coolers first came out on the market.  How's that for dating myself? I did like the vodka coolers, but having turned my nose up at imbibing long ago (nothing like watching one's peers stagger around, pants falling off, then puking behind a bush to turn one off of alcohol), I never really got into them. 

That was 20 odd years ago.

I didn't start trying out different alcoholic drinks until Spindle turned 18 and expressed a curiosity in trying out different types of booze.  Why not? sez I! 

I still don't particularly like alcohol.

When she suggested the wine cooler to try, however, I remembered the coolers I'd had long ago and rather liked the idea.  Especially when we found the Wild Harvest Berry flavour.  Me like berries. 

This, however, has a low enough alcohol level to be sold in the grocery store (for those of you outside of Canada, Quebec is the only province where alcoholic drinks can be purchased in grocery stores.  We are not in Quebec). Which meant my younger daughter could try it out, too.

We all agreed that it had a very faint smell of berries.  I found it immediate; not so much the girls.  They also could smell the wine, which I couldn't.  It has a carbonated burn and bitterness to it.  My younger daughter felt it tasted a bit like berry yogurt - you know the type that has the berries on the bottom that need to be mixed in?  Like that, before mixing it in.  Personally, I felt the carbonation overpowered the berry flavours.  It reminded me a lot of a punch we like to make, using frozen berries and Ginger Ale, except using tonic water instead of the Ginger Ale.

Our conclusions?  Nice.  Mild flavour.  Very carbonated.  I liked it enough to finish off the bottle, which I usually leave to the kids.  I can see developing a taste for it.