We Tried 11 Brands to Find the Best Ginger Ale

When it comes to ginger ale, one major brand always comes to mind: Canada Dry. It’s the same with brands like Reese’s and LaCroix—they stand out in their field as the most iconic examples of what they do. However, when one brand seems to be heads and tails above the rest, I’m tempted to verify if that’s really the case—after all, there might be an amazing ginger ale out that would make this party punch really pop.

Our impressive Test Kitchen managed to wrangle up 11 different ginger ales to see which one tasted the best. The testing squad was looking for a bubbly beverage that delivered when it came to the perfect levels of ginger flavor, fizz and sweetness. See how our favorites fared in our blind test.

Honorable Mention: Fever Tree

Score: 7/10

Fever Tree’s ginger ale was a bit of an unexpected pick in this competitive lineup. This smaller brand delivered on fizz and on ginger flavor, but it also gave us a bit more. Thanks to green ginger—which can have a lemongrass-like flavor—this soda was a bit tart. Since lemon and ginger are a natural flavor combo, we couldn’t help but enjoy our sips of this sample.

$6 for a 4-pack of bottles; available at select grocers nationwide.

Runner-Up: Schweppes

Score: 7.5/10

Schweppes is a heritage brand that’s been around for over 200 years, and for good reason. This brand was a bit on the drier side of sodas, which was refreshing for folks that don’t like their beverages overly sweet. The ginger flavor was fairly mild here, but folks remarked that its mellow flavor would make for a great mixer. Another reason this soft drink got such high marks: great carbonation. Schweppes was by far the fizziest option we popped open.

$4.89 for a 12-pack of cans; available at grocers nationwide.

Best in Show: Blue Sky

Score: 8/10

Blue Sky might not be the biggest name in soda, but it certainly delivered. Flavor-wise, Blue Sky definitely gave a good ginger bite. Testers agreed that this brand walked the line between the ginger ale we usually sip and a spicier ginger beer. By the way, this is the difference between ginger beer and ginger ale. This brand was also fairly sweet, though it’s sweetened entirely with natural cane sugar. The sugar gave the ginger ale a slightly different flavor since so many soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

In the end, Blue Sky won because it really gave us the best of all ginger ale worlds—fizzy, sweet but still with a satisfying bite. What’s more, the brand received top marks in our very competitive cola test, too.

Prices vary; available at select stores—including Walmart and natural food shops—nationwide.

The Bottom Line

Much like in our root beer taste test, we found that there were two kinds of ginger ale—mellow and some with bite. Testers concluded that some of the more mild options in the test were just too similar to white soda—and what’s the point of ginger ale without that ginger kick? While I’m still happy to recommend power player Canada Dry, I was delighted to see that there were many more flavorful ginger ale options to spice up my favorite party drinks.

While we tested a whopping 11 brands, there are so many more to try—check out our favorite regional soda brands from across the US.

Try Your Favorite Ginger Ale in These Drinks

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Cranberry Sparkler

The flavors of this refreshing cran-raspberry cocktail are great any time of year. In winter, the cranberry makes it a good fit for holiday parties; on a warm summer's night, the raspberry comes to the fore. It's a favorite for our girls' night! —Susan Stetzel, Gainesville, New York

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