I’ve visited Rachel’s Ginger Beer at least a dozen times but this was actually my first time purchasing their original ginger beer. Ginger, lemon, sugar, carbonated water. Simple, clean, and refreshing. Every other time I’ve been swayed by their fancy fruit varieties but before I posted reviews of those I wanted to provide a base assessment of what they’re serving.
RGB prides itself on brewing a craft ginger beer, not to be confused with ginger ale. You put the two side by side and this is an entirely different beast. To begin with, this ginger beer has A LOT of fresh lemon juice. There’s so much lemon it starts to taste a bit like a carbonated lemonade, but then you notice the ginger. It sneaks up on you like a ninja, and burns you like a dragon. Like a very small, gentle, but persistent dragon.
What I appreciate about this beverage is that it’s not too sweet. There’s enough sugar in the brew to take the edge off the lemon, but it’s still a tart drink. This makes you sip it, and appreciate it, which gives the ginger time to latch onto the back of your tongue and remind you who’s boss. When you purchase the growler you notice how much fruit pulp is inside…it’s cloudy like a lava lamp and needs agitation before pouring.
Do I recommend you try Rachel’s Ginger Beer? No. I demand that you try Rachel’s Ginger Beer. They pay attention to their craft and put out a tremendous product. I’m rating the original flavor an 8.5 out of 10 mostly to leave a bit of ceiling room for the other varieties they produce. There hasn’t been a single one I’ve disliked.
I usually visit their location by Pike Place Market, but they have another up on Capitol Hill (with food available). Portland will get their own location soon, and you can also find them at farmer’s markets in the area. Once again, this isn’t cheap, but you should drink one of these and skip five lesser beverages. You deserve it.
Catalog:
Purchased at RGB in Seattle, sampled on 7/29/2016
The Sodafry 