Saturday, July 26, 2008

A Ginger Beer Taste Test

Friends of mine...(good friends) scoffed when I told them that the best Ginger Beer on this planet was made by Stewart's. I went on and on about how Stewart's Ginger Beer was not only the best Ginger Beer but quite possibly the best soda pop ever! My good friends Jeremy and Sonja insisted that I was dead wrong. Protesting with raised eyebrows and heads nodding left and right they cried out that "Reed's Extra Ginger Brew" was the best Ginger Beer. Feeling a bit like Alma listening to Abinidi I sat and wondered if I was wrong. "Could this "Reed's" Ginger Beer be the best ever??? We ended the argument amicably and I went home.

Now I have had "Reed's" ginger candy and it is in fact the best ginger candy I have ever had. I had never put it together that the "Reed's" ginger candy and "Reed's" ginger beer were the same company....DUH!! They were. So obviously I was quite intrigued when I saw a four-pack of "Reed's Extra Ginger Brew" on my local Albertson's supermarket shelf. Standing in the beverage aisle I looked straight ahead, eye level at the four-pack contender. I wondered if this stuff was the real deal.

I called my friend Jeremy at home, not taking my eyes of the four-pack.

"Is this the stuff?" I asked.
"Yeah Man...It's the stuff...and it's the best" said Jeremy.
My eyes narrowed...scratching my chin I said, "OK...I'll get it and do a review on the blog."
Jeremy said, "you do that and if you disparage it I'll comment."
"MmmmOK" I said.

So here is the first taste test ever conducted on "The Daily Item."

The beverages: Reed's Extra Ginger Brew Ginger Beer and Stewart's Ginger Beer.

Reed's Extra Ginger Brew Ginger Beer
Bottle Appeal *****
Price $$$$
Aroma *****
Ginger Burn *****
After-taste ****
Taste ****1/2

Stewart's Ginger Beer
Bottle Appeal ****
Price $$$$
Aroma *****
Ginger Burn *****
After-taste *****
Taste *****

A little drum roll please...


I hereby declare the Winner and Still Champion
Stewart's Ginger Beer



There you have it. Scientifically I have determined that the best Ginger Beer on this planet is indeed Stewart's Ginger Beer. These results were echoed by my dear wife Ruth and our oldest son Brent. I feel bad proving my good friends wrong and I hope this taste test won't come between our friendship. But truth is truth.

6 comments:

Johnny G-PA said...

Ginger BEER. Aint you one of them Mormuns? You have an interview with Bishop Green on Tuesday at 7.
Screw you Hope.

Soda Pop ya right.

Sonja said...

Well, obviously, it must be some genetic deficiency. :)

This will absolutely have no effect on our friendship, rest assured.

Anonymous said...

Well, you are certainly entitled to your opinion--even if wrong. However, I must point out some deficiencies in your "scientific" criteria. First of all, bottle appeal was never at issue here. I will readily agree that the Reed's bottles are a disaster. So even by your own data it was pretty close.

BUT...one category you apparently forgot to disclose was clearly: "Already well entrenched opinion which will make this impossible to judge fairly." Stewart's= **********.

If Coke and Pepsi have taught us anything it is that taste tests must be conducted blind and near the beach. Thus, I officially refute and disparage your findings.

At least we can agree that ginger beer is the best. And don't forget that it's good for you, too.

Krysten said...

Hmm,Do you know I have never tried let alone heard about Ginger Beer. Now I must go pick up both brands and see what its all about and conduct my own taste test.

Brent Hope said...

Ahhhh. You must do it. Then you will see that Stewarts is indeed the best.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I don't know anyone associated with this blog; but having tasted both brands, for me, it's not even close: Stewart's. Stewart's has the more wicked kick and yet maintains its full taste. The next best to Stewart's was from a company called Old Thyme (but I don't even know if that company is still in business).