Every time I return to this post I see more and more Ginger Beef being available in the US, and some of it is horrible, but for the most part it is at least passable.

Brands I have tried:

• AJ Stephens
• River City
• Raley's/BelAir Store brand (avoid this one)
• Bundaberg
• Cock & Bull
• Fever Tree
• Maine Root
• Reed's
• Schweppe's (Imported from UK)

In diet I have tried:

• Bundaberg
• Cock & Bull

My favorites in no particular order are:

• Bundaberg
• River City
• Schweppe's
• Cock & Bull

I have advocated for it so many times my employer now buys it for group lunches, and the 4 or 6 pack is claimed sometimes before I can get to them.

I haven't updated this in a while.  I have had the opportunity to try a few more brands of Ginger Beer.

A store in the Sacramento area that carries British items imports Idrus and Schweppes.   Both of the imports from the UK use a mix of sugar and artificial sweeteners.   The Schweppes tastes like I remember Ginger Beer as as kid.    However, River City Brewing recently started showing up in Nugget and Raley's/Bel Air.    This is now my new favorite.

My preference choice for Ginger Beer

When I find a place that carries Ginger Beer, this is the order I pick them in:

• A new brand I haven't tried before, although if sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup I may pass down on the list.
• Bundaberg
• AJ Stephens

An introduction

Ginger beer is an often overlooked soft drink in the United States.  I was introduced to it as a young child by my father who would search for it all over.  Sometimes he resorted to getting local soda distributors to order him a cases.    This most often was Schweppes brand and made in Canada.

It originated in the mid-19th century in the UK, and had some popularity in the US through prohibition.  It was involved in a landmark UK case that is used as a precedence for cases involving third-party liability.

I went about 10 years without tasting it, and then found several varieties in a local grocery store chain - Nugget Market while living in Davis, CA.  Since then I have made a point of trying all the different varieties I can find.  

Of the people who know about Ginger Beer I have met, most only know it as a mix for alcohol.   This is not a use  I am going to discuss on this blog, I do not drink alcohol.

Of the varieties I have tried, I recommend Bundaberg as a good introduction to Ginger Beer.   It is not as spicy as other varieties, but gives you an indication of how Ginger Beer compares to Ginger Ale.

Other varieties I have tried include AJ Stephens, Reed's Ginger Brew, Fever Tree, Cock N'Bull, Capt Eli, and others.  I am still looking for a perfect Ginger Beer.