Soothing Beverage for the Traveler
We all know that I’m a big fan of root beers, but I’m also a bit of a fan of ginger beers (well… depending.) Much like root beers, ginger beers come in a wide variety of styles, from traditionally Jamaican, spicy and infused with ginger, to the more westernized style that seems to be gently flavored carbonated water. I have never heard of a ginger root beer, so I’m not sure if Anchor Ginger Root Beer is going to be a combination of those two distinct flavors, or simply a ginger beer.
Yarr, Scallywags! Drop Anchor! I’m On A Boat You Salty Sea Dogs!
From the solid red cap, to the two-tone simplistic design, Anchor is certainly captivating. Solid colors typically mean bold, and that’s what I’m expecting when faced with the concept of a ginger root beer. Bold. Now, the last time I was fooled by the labeling was with Red Eye, and that was pleasantly surprising. That means, of course, that Anchor will surprise me pleasantly, too, right? Also, check out this awesome label text:
As a tribute to all the Sea Dogs and Scallywags looking for adventure on the high seas, Anchor has the sweet taste of root beer with a soothing touch of ginger to help keep you sailing all day – Enjoy!
Background
We’ve seen Orca Beverage Soda Works before, specifically with Brownie and Old Red Eye. Now, they’ve got their hands on Anchor. Like others before this brew, my guess is that Anchor was bought up by Orca as they expanded their retro line of brews and other pops. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s really that different from their other root beers.
Ingredients
- Carbonated Water
- Cane Sugar
- Natural & Artificial Flavors
- Caramel Color
- Phosphoric Acid
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Benzoate (A Preservative)
- Ginger
It’s nice to see ginger in the ingredient list. That shows me that there’s some dedication to this whole ginger business. I’m hoping there’s legitimate ginger flavor here, because that would be interesting. I’m not surprised about the flavoring, given that this is an Orca branded drink. Nevertheless, I’m not pleased. In any case, everything else looks pretty straight forward.
First Taste
Anchor Ginger Root Beer is much more of a root beer than a ginger beer. Well, it’s actually almost all root beer. You can smell the hints of a westernized ginger beer when you first open the cap, but when it comes to that first taste, it’s hard to appreciate anything other than your standard fair root beer. Honestly, this is kind of disappointing.
There are definitely hints of ginger at the back of the throat, but you really have to reach for the flavor. It’s hardly spicy, and not very pungent. When it comes to the root beer flavor, I’d say it’s quite mild. Anchor seems sweet though, which is nice. I am sensing some bitter elements, but it’s not overwhelming by any means. There’s very little carbonation, which I like. Combined with the sweetness, that lack of carbonation makes for an easy to drink, smooth brew. Hopefully this brew requires some breathing room.
After Time
Over time it becomes a lot easier to identify the bitterness of this brew. Anchor’s not nearly as sweet as I had originally anticipated, which isn’t that unfortunate; but I’m a fan of the sweeter brews. That being said, it’s also not sticking to my teeth, which is good. There’s very little after taste, and what after taste is present is definitely mild. That gentle tingle of ginger spice is still present, but it’s ridiculously small. Almost non-existent. Anchor does a good job at retaining what carbonation it has. And, to be fair, the flavor becomes more apparent over time. I guess it did need some breathing room after all.
Conclusion
Anchor isn’t too special. As a root beer, it’s pretty run of the mill. As a ginger beer, it’s bland. Orca certainly has a history of producing augmented versions of root beer, but I’m just not seeing this particular version being that unique. It’s definitely not impressive. If you’re a big fan of ginger beers, this might be a way into the world of root beer, but I would probably just recommend something more traditional, like Polar. That being said, it’s not terrible (carbonation choices save the day,) and I would lightly recommend it as something new to try.
Rating: ♛♛♕♕♕ – 2/5