I love trying foods and beverages that have fallen out of style. Maybe it's the feeling of delving into the past to find what forgotten treasures lie abandoned in the deep recesses of our history; like some culinary Indiana Jones. Or, is it the puzzle of it that interests me so? Why are these treats no longer commonplace? Are the ingredients scarcer, is the method of production no longer viable, or have our tastes really evolved so much that they are no longer desirable? Or am I just being contrary, like so much hipster, and enjoying these things simply because they are no longer in fashion? Regardless, I loves me some old-timey drinks.
For those unfamiliar with the process, sodas used to get their fizz the same way beer or sparkling wine does, not from the addition of carbonated water, but from fermentation. Yeast is added to the brew, and allowed to do its thing, which is to eat up sugars and produce alcohol and gas. In the case of sodas, though, the fermentation is cut off very early, preserving much of the sweetness while allowing only a very small amount of alcohol to be produced. This of course makes for a very different kind of drink than the sodas we enjoy today, most of which (though not all) contain not even this miniscule amount of alcohol.
I have tried a number of old style beverages in the past. I have gone so far as to make my own celery soda syrup, which is much better than it sounds. I even brewed my own ginger ale completely from scratch, an endeavor that was far less successful, as I think I allowed it to ferment a tad too long, and it tasted rather strongly of alcohol. This failure did, however, give me a good reference point for what to expect of classic brewed sodas. So, upon seeing six of Fentimans offerings at one of my local supermarkets, I couldn't wait to try them.
Curiosity Cola - We started off with quite a doozy on this one. The cola had the strongest alcoholic scent, similar to a whisky and cola, with a strong ginger smell as well. The taste was likewise gingery, and not unlike the bubble-gummy flavor of champagne soda. This was not one of my favorites.
Victorian Lemonade - Perhaps it was just the bottle I had, but I was initially assaulted by a skunky smell upon giving this one my precursory whiff. The taste, however, was a bit more pleasant, though the skunkiness persisted. Still the dry, sour flavor wasn't too bad, and would be nice as a drink mixer I think. It reminded me a little of a Mike's Hard Lemonade, with far less alcohol and much less sweet. Not bad.
Ginger Beer - As a huge fan of ginger beer I had high hopes for this one. The aroma was quite heady, and I happily inhaled deeply several times. The smell was slightly deceptive, however, as the ginger flavor was much milder than I expected. Perhaps I am just used to Jamaican ginger beers which tend to be sinus-searingly strong, but this one had only a slight kick to it. It is on the dry side, something I quite like, especially in ginger ales and beers. It was definitely superior to my own failed attempt. This was among my favorites and I highly suggest it.
Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger - I am no fan of orange sodas, but this one is a nice exception. The smell was very tart and reminded me immediately of a screwdriver. The taste was equally tart, and not at all sweet. It tasted like a mimosa made with a cheap sparkling wine, but in a good way. This is another that would make a good drink mixer, though it's still enjoyable on its own.
Dandelion and Burdock - This is the one I was most looking forward to trying, as I had no idea what it would taste like. I have had dandelion wine, and steamed dandelion greens, but never burdock. It smelled very similar to a grape soda, tea, and most oddly, a bit like cough syrup. The flavor was very complex, but reminded me most of horehound candy and tea. This was not only the most interesting and complex of the lot, but also hands-down our favorite. Try this one.
Cherry Tree Cola - There is no subtlety with this one, the cherry smell hits hard, like a cherry hard candy left to melt in the sun. The flavor is much the same, so strong that it tastes artificial. It's viscous body and overall sweetness reminded me of cherry syrup. Again, this would be a nice mixer, but I couldn't think of having more than a sip on its own.
Overall, I enjoyed Fentimans line of Botanically Brewed Beverages, even the ones I wouldn't race out to buy again. I feel an additional shout-out is in order regarding the Dandelion and Burdock, which I give my whole-hearted endorsement to. I imagine I will be having the occasional uncontrollable craving for one from now on. All of these flavors are well worth trying, and I hope to have the opportunity to try the remaining Rose Lemonade and Shandy flavors listed on their site.
For those unfamiliar with the process, sodas used to get their fizz the same way beer or sparkling wine does, not from the addition of carbonated water, but from fermentation. Yeast is added to the brew, and allowed to do its thing, which is to eat up sugars and produce alcohol and gas. In the case of sodas, though, the fermentation is cut off very early, preserving much of the sweetness while allowing only a very small amount of alcohol to be produced. This of course makes for a very different kind of drink than the sodas we enjoy today, most of which (though not all) contain not even this miniscule amount of alcohol.
I have tried a number of old style beverages in the past. I have gone so far as to make my own celery soda syrup, which is much better than it sounds. I even brewed my own ginger ale completely from scratch, an endeavor that was far less successful, as I think I allowed it to ferment a tad too long, and it tasted rather strongly of alcohol. This failure did, however, give me a good reference point for what to expect of classic brewed sodas. So, upon seeing six of Fentimans offerings at one of my local supermarkets, I couldn't wait to try them.
Curiosity Cola - We started off with quite a doozy on this one. The cola had the strongest alcoholic scent, similar to a whisky and cola, with a strong ginger smell as well. The taste was likewise gingery, and not unlike the bubble-gummy flavor of champagne soda. This was not one of my favorites.
Victorian Lemonade - Perhaps it was just the bottle I had, but I was initially assaulted by a skunky smell upon giving this one my precursory whiff. The taste, however, was a bit more pleasant, though the skunkiness persisted. Still the dry, sour flavor wasn't too bad, and would be nice as a drink mixer I think. It reminded me a little of a Mike's Hard Lemonade, with far less alcohol and much less sweet. Not bad.
Ginger Beer - As a huge fan of ginger beer I had high hopes for this one. The aroma was quite heady, and I happily inhaled deeply several times. The smell was slightly deceptive, however, as the ginger flavor was much milder than I expected. Perhaps I am just used to Jamaican ginger beers which tend to be sinus-searingly strong, but this one had only a slight kick to it. It is on the dry side, something I quite like, especially in ginger ales and beers. It was definitely superior to my own failed attempt. This was among my favorites and I highly suggest it.
Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger - I am no fan of orange sodas, but this one is a nice exception. The smell was very tart and reminded me immediately of a screwdriver. The taste was equally tart, and not at all sweet. It tasted like a mimosa made with a cheap sparkling wine, but in a good way. This is another that would make a good drink mixer, though it's still enjoyable on its own.
Dandelion and Burdock - This is the one I was most looking forward to trying, as I had no idea what it would taste like. I have had dandelion wine, and steamed dandelion greens, but never burdock. It smelled very similar to a grape soda, tea, and most oddly, a bit like cough syrup. The flavor was very complex, but reminded me most of horehound candy and tea. This was not only the most interesting and complex of the lot, but also hands-down our favorite. Try this one.
Cherry Tree Cola - There is no subtlety with this one, the cherry smell hits hard, like a cherry hard candy left to melt in the sun. The flavor is much the same, so strong that it tastes artificial. It's viscous body and overall sweetness reminded me of cherry syrup. Again, this would be a nice mixer, but I couldn't think of having more than a sip on its own.
Overall, I enjoyed Fentimans line of Botanically Brewed Beverages, even the ones I wouldn't race out to buy again. I feel an additional shout-out is in order regarding the Dandelion and Burdock, which I give my whole-hearted endorsement to. I imagine I will be having the occasional uncontrollable craving for one from now on. All of these flavors are well worth trying, and I hope to have the opportunity to try the remaining Rose Lemonade and Shandy flavors listed on their site.
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