FAQ: Top Note Ginger Beer

Released in 2017 as part of our original lineup of Sparkling Mixers, Top Note Tonic’s award-winning Ginger Beer is earthy and rich with a bold gingery bite. What’s our secret? Read on to find out!

What is Ginger Beer and how is it different from Ginger Ale?

Historically, Ginger Beer was a fermented, mildly-alcoholic ginger brew not unlike what we now think of as kombucha. Modern day Ginger Beer, however, is a non-alcoholic, non-fermented (note: though some varieties do incorporate yeast as a means of carbonation, they typically maintain a low enough ABV to be considered non-alcoholic) carbonated beverage brewed with ginger. Most Ginger Beers have a strong ginger flavor and are only mildly sweet.

Ginger Ale, on the other hand, is akin to other traditional North American soft drinks. Most are made simply by adding ginger syrup (which may or may not include any actual ginger root) to carbonated water, making for a soda that’s sweeter, more mildly ginger-flavored and often more highly carbonated than Ginger Beer. Along with its cousin Club Soda, Ginger Ale can be used as a neutral-flavored cocktail mixer and to help settle an upset stomach.

While Ginger Beer and Ginger Ale can - to a large extent - be used interchangeably as drink mixers, the choice to use one over the other will impact the flavor of your cocktail. If you’re in the mood for something sweet and mild, go for Ginger Ale; if you’re feeling bold and spicy, we recommend reaching for Top Note Ginger Beer.

What makes Top Note Ginger Beer so unique?

Unlike most American Ginger Beers on the market today, Top Note’s is made with a combination of California-grown date sugar and all-natural cane sugar. The unique addition of date sugar lends a Cola-like complexity and deep brown color similar to the dark and boldly-flavored Jamaican Ginger Beers we love. Date sugar also keeps the overall sugar content and sweetness levels lower than other Ginger Beers.

We also brew our Ginger Beer with both ginger and galangal roots, providing a deeply complex flavor profile uncommon to many others: galangal lends an earthy and almost grassy savoriness while ginger root lends that signature Ginger Beer bite.

How can I best enjoy Top Note Ginger Beer?

The dark color of our Ginger Beer makes for an especially striking cocktail when mixed with dark spirits like whiskey and aged rums as well as in a myriad of tropical-style cocktails. However, it’s also fantastic with lighter spirits like tequila, pisco and of course in the classic vodka-based Moscow Mule.

We’re also big fans of drinking it straight out of the bottle! When we’re not in the mood for booze but still want that cocktail feeling, we’re prone to mixing it with coconut water for a tropical twist or with cold apple cider for a cozy treat.

For our full recipe catalog of Ginger Beer drinks, click here. Or get started with a few of our favorites:

Ginger Beer Cocktails

Glasgow Mule

Shoeless Josephine

Irish Ale

Ginger Beer Spirit-Frees (Mocktails)

Spirit-Free Ginger-Apple Mule

Dry & Stormy

Espresso Mule

Where can I find Top Note Ginger Beer?

Purchase direct from Top Note in our online store! Our Sparkling Mixers can also be found at these fine American retailers. Ask for Top Note anywhere Sparkling Mixers are sold - we'd love to get on a retail shelf near you.

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