Sometimes you need a gift that the whole family can enjoy together.  Or you need a gift for that person who “has everything.”  In these cases, gourmet or artisan-made foods and beverages are an ideal choice — like these craft sodas from Brooklyn Crafted.  The company (with several “sister brands” under its umbrella) has been around for a little while with unique flavors like Pomegranate Ginger Ale with Hibiscus, but has recently branched out into the two lines you see represented here.

Sugar Free Ginger Ale & Ginger Beer

The first is the Sugar Free you see in the larger bottles.  It’s a healthier soda option than what you might be used to seeing.

Okay, first let’s address (sort of) the question I know you’re asking.  It’s the first thing my kids asked me, too.  “What is the difference between ginger ale and ginger beer?”  I have no idea.  According to some sources, ginger beer is brewed while ginger ale is simply flavored (like most sodas nowadays), but I don’t think that’s actually how most companies use the terms.  In this instance, I believe the “ginger ale” is made with slightly less “kick,” but there’s not enough difference between them to quibble over.

These sugar-free options are sweetened with stevia.  This is both good and bad.  Good, because it’s a pretty healthy option.  No sugar.  No artificial sweeteners.  No sugar alcohols to cause digestive distress.  Bad because, as you know if you have much experience with stevia, it can have a somewhat odd aftertaste.  Unfortunately, these beverages are no exception to that.  The “regular” sugar free ginger ale, in particular, we found to taste excessively sweet due to the stevia, and we didn’t care for it.

In the extra spicy ginger ale, however, the additional ginger flavor balanced this out considerably.  There’s still a bit of a quirky stevia flavor to it, but it’s not so pronounced, so anyone already accustomed to stevia’s flavor probably will enjoy this, and those who aren’t may accustom to it quickly.  As you can see, these are really “clean” for being soda/pop/soft drinks:

Minis

The other new line is the minis.  These are 7-oz bottles rather than 12-oz, making them a great option for piling together in a gift basket (and a good option for kids, who might be overwhelmed by a 12-oz bottle of real ginger beer).  These ginger beers come in four flavors: Traditional, Earl Grey, Lemon & Lime, and Mango.  We received the Lemon & Lime flavor to try and this was my favorite of the ginger beers.  It basically tastes like a lemon/lime soda with a gingery after-kick.

These minis are not sugar-free, but they are made with real cane sugar, not corn syrup.

It would make a good family gift to bundle a handful of these jars together (one for each family member).  Or I would enjoy receiving a single bottle of this as part of a gift basket of other edible treats.

A couple other gift ideas: Try giving this to an expectant mama who might be feeling a little queasy, since the real ginger is good for her tummy.  Or package a bottle or two together with a fun or unusual can opener for that hard-to-gift individual on your list.

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