6 November 2013

Alcoholic Ginger Beer - Ginger Grouse (Sainsburys) [By @SpectreUK]


When I first saw this bottle in the supermarket I couldn't work out why they had called it Ginger Grouse. I did go out with a ginger “bird” when I was about sixteen years old, and she was a pretty fiery character, but I still can't see what that would have to do with it. I then read the label on the bottle and found that this ginger beer was brewed in Scotland and contained the Famous Grouse Whisky. The label recommended pouring this ginger beer over ice and adding a wedge of fresh lime and “good company”, but I couldn't be bothered with the first two and so I decided to drink it straight. There was a strong smell of ginger on pouring the beer into my beer mug. There was also a hint of whiskey lurking behind the ginger, like a spirited after-smell. The ginger beer had a kind of ginger colour, not as dark as beer, and not cloudy like some ginger beers can be. On tasting there was a big bite of ginger as an initial taste which also followed into the aftertaste, merging with an extra alcoholic hit from the Famous Grouse Whisky. I thought this was a lovely innovative drink as I haven't seen whisky mixed with ginger beer before. I certainly didn't feel that it needed an additional wedge of lime as there was already enough citrus in the overall flavour. I was also glad not to have added any ice as when I was drinking this ginger beer it was a dark cold night outside and pouring with rain. The warming effects from the whisky and spice from the ginger tickled my throat and warmed my cockles. I do hope I can find more of this Ginger Grouse to enjoy over the cold winter nights that are slowly closing in on us. Brrr... Cheers to Ginger Grouse!

Information on the label;
Served in a 500ml bottle, at 4% Volume, and brewed by Matthew Gloag And Son Ltd., in Perth, Scotland. Ingredients Included; carbonated water, sugar, spirit based alcohol (70%), blended Scotch Whisky (30%), natural flavourings, citric acid, caramel, and preservatives sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate.
By Spectre

2 comments:

Tim said...

Seems good... but it isn't a truly brewed ginger beer... as per Bundaberg and Fentimans...
rather, it is a put-together ginger beer.
A friend just made a pudding using the "brew" and it turned out very nice.
[http://bakinginfranglais.blogspot.fr/2014/01/chocolate-and-ginger-puddle-pudding.html]

Perhaps you ought to try some against the Fentimans and Bundaberg [both non-alco]...
but make sure the Bundaberg you buy is the REAL Aussie stuff...
we've tried the UK-under-licence brew...
it has NO ginger bite, is over sweet and horribly cloying!!
The real stuff comes in a 'stubbie' bottle with a ringpull top...

And add some whisky to the two non-alco ones...
just to even the score...

cinabar said...

Thanks for your comment, Spectre is very keen on tracking down some proper Bundaberg ginger beer - he has tried the UK Diet version, but not the proper stuff! Watch this space ;-)