Ginger ale

Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger in one of two ways. The golden style is closer to the ginger beer original, and is credited to the American doctor Thomas Cantrell. The dry style (also called the pale style) is a paler drink with a much milder ginger flavour, and was created by Canadian John McLaughlin.

History

Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale in Belfast, Northern Ireland and marketed it with local beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles. This was the Golden ginger ale, dark coloured, generally sweet to taste, with a strong ginger spice flavour. It is the older style and there is little or no difference between this and non-alcoholic versions of ginger beer. Thus, the golden ginger ale and ginger beer are essentially the same thing, except one major difference. Golden ginger ale is clear, whereas ginger beer is cloudy and has a stronger ginger taste. Golden ginger ale is mainly consumed as a carbonated drink and a ginger beer alternative and not as a mixer like dry ginger ale is often used. Dry ginger ale is often used as a club soda alternative, especially mixing it with alcoholic beverages.