A new Gluten-Free “Beer” to try

This adult-only ginger-beer is a delightful recent find I encountered in the United Kingdom at the Waitrose grocery store chain.   When I first came across the bottles at the store, I was immediately intrigued by the description on the label: “An alcoholic ginger beer made with Jamaican Ginger, Sicilian Lemons, and a hint of Chili.”

 Chili, did I read??  Interesting!  So, I quickly took a look at the product page on the Waitrose web site to see if this is considered a gluten-free alcoholic ginger beer, and yes it is.  Perfect… and, as soon as possible a couple bottles made their way into my shopping basket and on to be chilled in the refrigerator.

Review: A refreshing, satisfying, cool drink with added zing

I found this gluten-free ginger beer to be rather delightful.  It definitely left me satisfied and was a great cool thirst-quencher perfect for summer.

The effervescence is noticeable, though not overwhelming — I’d say it is just about right.  I have had non-alcoholic ginger ales that have been either too flat or too stingy-bubbly, but this drink gets it spot-on in my opinion.

As for the presumption of “heat” I made upon reading the “Fiery” portion of the label as well as that mention of Chili — well, I certainly do not consider it “hot” in any way.  Any “fiery” aspects are quite tame, though that is just fine with me given that the drink comes together nicely with the discernible hint of those Sicilian lemons present in among the notes of ginger and the ever slight heat from the Chili.  I like the drink quite a bit, though I would welcome a true hotter (spicier) version with more Chili if it were ever produced.

Since the options for gluten-free beer are somewhat limited, and I am not particularly an avid wine drinker (occasional is plenty), this GF ginger-beer fills a gap in my drinks menu.  Definitely recommended, and count me in for refills next time I make it to Waitrose.

Now, if only this would be sold in the United States of America (USA)!  I am not aware of anything quite like this in the US, but perhaps I can find a way to ship the stuff there if enough demand exists?  Shipping would be cost-prohibitive I fear, and each bottle is currently costing £1.77 (i.e., around USD $3.00 at the time of this writing).  That is certainly going to equate to a “premium” gluten-free beer / drink option by the time any shipping and retailing-costs are added.   Anyone have “extra” luggage space and heading to the US?

Nice, bubbly, GF Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.