Green wine was beginning of Crabbie’s ginger beer legacy

As shared in one of my past columns, I discovered and continue to enjoy Crabbie’s Ginger Beer available at the LCBO, (CSPC 272807, 500 ML), $3.80 per bottle.

Crabbie’s story began in Edinburgh, Scotland. During the early 19th century grocery merchant Miller Crabbie had a son John who loved to innovate. Being close to the nearby Pork of Leith, John had access to International ingredients. Through the port he sourced the finest ginger and exotic spices and began to develop and market his own Green Ginger Wine. This Green Ginger Wine was the beginning of the Crabbie’s ginger beer legacy.

Crabbie’s trademark shows of an elephant. Two hundred years ago importers used elephants to explore untrodden grounds to procure exotic ingredients.

Crabbie’s is dark amber with an intense aroma and flavour of ginger and spice. The palate is heavy with a hint of spritz and plenty of sweetness to balance the natural bitterness of ginger. This is truly a delightful beverage, especially when served with a wedge of fresh lime. The lime helps to lesson the experience of sweetness on the palate. (After all, this beverage has 84 grams of sugar per litre.) Adding lime also provides the beverage with 3 out of the 5 primary taste sensations – bitter (ginger), sweet (sugar), tangy (lime). Therefore, when serving Crabbie’s to friends this summer, choose salty hors d’oeuvres to round out the culinary experience. How about smoked salmon and cream cheese canapés with capers and fresh lemon?

Beer classically complements chicken wings. Because of this beer’s sweetness, spicy-coated wings will taste fabulous. Try Jerk or Old Bay Seasoning.

Or serve Crabbie’s ginger beer with dessert, such as a chocolate and ginger ganache. The bitterness and sweetness in the beer will harmonize with the bitterness of dark chocolate and its sweetness.

Interestingly, in sharing this beer I’ve discovered that friends either absolutely love or absolutely hate it. Those who love the beer are no doubt non-tasters, like me. Non-tasters are born with fewer taste buds and so require loads of bold flavours.

Some people find this beer to be too heavy in weight with far too much ginger bitterness. Obviously they are the super tasters of the world. Super tasters are born with more than enough taste buds and so possess highly sensitive palates.

Always on the hunt for new experiences, I decided to try another ginger beer available in Peterborough at the Beer Store. Called MadJack Premium Ginger Lager, (473), $2.75 per bottle, this beverage tastes completely different.

First, it is a lager. This lager possesses gold colour with a head that dissipates quickly, leaving sufficient effervescence. The palate offers more malt than ginger flavor with balanced sweetness, light body, refreshing acidity and no hoppy aftertaste. It’s more like ginger ale than ginger beer. Super tasters should love it. As a non taster I added 2 thick slices of fresh orange to my glass and poured the drink over ice. Downright delicious!

Both beers are low in alcohol and so can be safely served to friends this summer for afternoon or evening barbecue dining.

Because it is also sweet, this lager will refresh the palate when served with Thai curry chicken wings. In a bowl combine ½ cup of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of fresh chili paste, 2 tablespoons of curry powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, a ½ teaspoon each of sea salt and white pepper.