Current favorite: Bundaberg!
(They have a diet version available, but ehh: rather drink the regular stuff and work out a bit more. It’s worth it.)
Problem with ginger beer is finding it at times. At the moment, my only real supply of it is through Cost Plus.
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If so, then Blenheim’s spicer versions would certainly qualify, even though they are ginger-ales. I’ve tried many different ginger beers and ales, but Blenheim sits at the top of the heap. Problem is, it’s hard to find west of the Mississippi. For a while, Restoration Hardware, of all places, stocked it.
Next up - Pangleheimers.
OK nose. Sharp bite right off the bat, up front. Not too sweet. Lingering burn in the back of the throat, but weaker than Stephans. A mixture of the two might get the right blend of all-around burn. This seems like it would go good with food that might coat the tastebuds.
Bleinheim’s Extra Hot is the best commercial ginger bubbly I’ve had .
Alas, the best ginger beer I had was a homemade concoction in Jamaica, the like never gulped again. It was from a small stand in Negril, West Jamaica. The liquid was all murky and not so clean looking, but tasted wonderful, fermenty ginger, not too sweet. Drank it and bicycled around town; after ten minutes, felt a hot sweat through my whole body, then a quick cooling effect. It was a similar endorphin rush to when you have really spicy food. I’ve always loved ginger anything, but that brew was amazing!
I’ve bookmarked Podkayne’s link to making your own…Thanks!
Last one for the night - Red Rock Golden Ginger Ale.
Not much nose. Too sweet (as noted by their own description). Minimal bite. Don’t trust this review…these people have no idea what they are talking about.
Tonight’s rankings:
Stephan’s - 93
Pangleheimers - 90
Red Rock - 75
Don’t stop! I’m taking notes!
Tonight’s first - Reed’s Original Ginger Brew
Smooth. Ginger flavor, but not a not of snap. OK front end, but mostly carbonation, not heat. A notch above Canada Dry, but not my first choice.
I hope you’re doing Reeds Extra Ginger Ginger Brew next!
C’mon, don’t keep me hanging! 
Surprisingly mild. Not at all what I remembered as a kid. Rather bland, to tell the truth. Canada Dry has more snap. Where is the elixer of my youth?
Bundaberg is, to me, the Ginger Beer By Which All Other Ginger Beers Are Judged.
Having said that, Cascade do a very nice Ginger Beer, but it’s not quite the same, IMO…
Vernor’s is nectar of the gods.
Ok. The test is done for the present. I need to find some Blenheim’s, but so far my rankings are:
Stephan’s - 93
Bundaberg - 92
Reed’s Extra - 91
Pangleheimer’s - 90
Reed’s - 90
Red Rock - 75
Vernor’s - 75
Canada Dry - 70
Anything in the 90’s is pretty good. The quest continues.
We drink a lot of soda water (US trans: Seltzer water) made using a "Soda Stream [sup]TM[/sup]. Bundaberg make a ginger beer concentrate which you can add to soda water to make stronger or weaker ginger beer. Maybe that would give you the extra ooomph you are looking for.
Sorry - can’t find a link for it, but there are 2 bottles in the kitchen cupboard. 
Noticed references to “Dark and Stormy” - again a translation - it is a mix of Bundy rum and Bundy Ginger beer.
Silenus, do you have your next selections ready? I await your next rankings with bated breath!!
I’d love to see where you place Ginger People, Ginger People with Lemon, and Old Tyme. Also Stewarts and Sioux City and Fentiman’s.
I could help get you a few of those brands if they’re not available in your area.
I must admit puzzlement that you found Reeds Extra scored only one point higher than Reeds. Could you elaborate?
Must…find…Stephan’s!
I have to admit, this thread is making me a little wet. All this talk of ginger beer…mmmmmmmm, dark and stormies…dangerous territory.
Just cracked a Blenheim. Not too bad. OK bite with a lingering burn. Not anywhere near Stephan’s, but not bad at all. Not too sweet, either. I’ll give it a 91.
Qapgop - You sent me a bottle of Sioux City, I believe. I wish I’d taken notes when I drank it. My local Bevmo has been out of Stewart’s for the last few weeks. As for Reed’s…both are good, but Stephan’s beats them both hands-down. It was either rank the Reed’s close, or recalibrate and raise the ranking for Stephan’s.
5 minutes later, the Blenheim’s is still a pleasant burn in my throat. Niiiiice.
Thanks Silenus! I need to take a trip to a few large grocery stores now, and look around for those. I know Reeds is around, but it tends to become sold out, and stay sold out. Canada Dry is good with some grenadine, but alone is a little bland.
Good to know.
Yeah, I sent you a 4-pack of Sioux city and a single bottle of Fentiman’s.
Now my source of Fentiman’s has dried up… :mad:
Now I must seek out Blenheim too…
Ever have “Loco” soda? It had capsaicin added to it. Mango, lime, blackberry, and one other flavor that I don’t presently recall. It had gone out of business by the time I discovered it, but I was able to stock up on some bottles at a local “everything’s a dollar” grocery store. Damn, it was tasty.
Make sure you don’t get Blenheim’s “Not-So-Hot.” The original is pretty good, and doesn’t need any “dumbing-down” for plebian palates.
I neve got a chance to get “Loco” soda. More’s the pity, it seems.
I might just try a mix of Blenheim’s and Stephan’s. They might fill the holes in each others flavor profiles. Maybe. Or it might just blow the roof of my mouth off.
Hmm, it seems like I’ve seen Cock and Bull around here, but maybe it’s not as recently as I think. My favorite at the moment is Natural Brew Ginger Ale.
Mmmmm I loves me some ginger ale.