Where did the ginger go? (Tesco American Ginger Ale)

Member Name: goosey

Product:	Tesco American Ginger Ale
Date:	11/07/09 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thirst quenching, pleasant drink

Disadvantages: It doesn't taste of ginger

I am not Cola or Pepsi fan and find many of the bottled or canned soft drinks so carbonated that I am left burping (very lady-like, in company, of course) after consuming those bubbles that have not escaped up into my nostrils.

I was looking for a flavoursome, thirst quenching soft drink that didn't contain artificial sweeteners, unnatural colourants, or was too fizzy.

Ginger is one of my favourite flavours, so I have been investigating all the ginger flavoured drinks. Schweppes produce a lovely ginger beer, albeit still a tad bubbly and (at 98p/litre, ) expensive, but otherwise it ticked all the right boxes for me.

Last week, I spied bottles of Tesco's own Ginger ale. The first I tried was Tesco Dry Ginger Ale, then the American Ginger Ale. To be frank, there was little or no difference in the taste between the two, but the American Ginger Ale, won by a whisker because it contained fewer calories - 80 calories per litre fewer, to be exact.

===Tesco American Ginger Ale===

Lets cut to the chase. As far as ticking boxes is concerned, the American Ginger ale did, with regards to calorific content, fizz, cost (43p) and lack of artificial colourants and sweeteners, tick many of my boxes, all in fact except the most important one - taste!

I did wonder whether or not any ginger had passed the neck of the bottle. Then, discovered on checking the contents in more detail, that the drink contained ginger extract flavouring along with fruit and vegetable concentrates. No wonder the anticipated taste of ginger was conspicuously absent. I was disappointed with a capital D.

====Contents=====
Tesco's American Ginger Ale is a clear, pale amber coloured liquid in 1 litre plastic bottles. Costing 43p

~~~~~~~Nutritional values per 250ml~~~
Calories: 90
Sugar: 21.7g
Salt: Trace.

~~~~~~ Ingredients ~~~~
Carbonated water,
Sugar,
Citric Acid,
Natural flavouring (contains Ginger Extract)
Fruit and Vegetable concentrates (Apple, Hibiscus)
Preservative (Potassium Sorbate.)
Acidity Regulator (Trisodium Citrate)

Even though there was very little evidence of any ginger flavouring ( on my taste buds) I found it thirst quenching, inexpensive and not too burpy. The taste was pleasant and it did not contain anything I would not give a child to drink. For 43p I really cannot complain.
If you ignore the promise of ginger, the drink is certainly refreshing.

Of course there is a solution to the lack of ginger flavour. Buy a packet of ginger-nut biscuits and dunk em in the ale. - Just a thought!

Summary: It is non-alcoholic despite the name.