The Wild Ginger! is from St. Ambrose Cellars out of Beulah, Michigan. I previously reviewed their XR Cyser and the Evil Twin Cherry and Ginger Mead. Those as well as the Wild Ginger! are part of their “Draft Style Mead” line. These are lower abv, sessionable meads geared more toward the cider and beer drinking crowds.
If you’re a Michigander, you know all about ginger. Now imagine taking that ginger-ale taste, adding just a touch of sour, and always-appealing star thistle honey. Sound good? We’re glad it does, because that’s exactly what wet n’ wild Wild Ginger mead is. One of the regulars in our draft lineup, the Wild Ginger has the mead sweetness you love with a tantalizing ginger bite.
The Mead Review
It it pours a light straw color – nice and clear with significant carbonation. The color is like a light apple juice. The carbonation sits for a little while then dissipates. Small bubbles linger on the glass.
The carbonation releases an aroma of spicy ginger along with light floral honey – mildly sweet on the nose. There are also notes of subtle fruit, like pear or apple.
It tastes quite refreshing with mild sweetness upfront. The sweetness brings in slight fruitiness with hints of apple and pear along with a little bit of citrus. There is a little bit of that artificial sweetness taste – somewhat medicinal, but very minor.
The sweetness immediately gives way to an incredible ginger kick that lingers in the back of the throat. I’m a big fan of ginger, and this has it in spades. After sipping for a little while, my mouth tingles with ginger spiciness long after the last sip.
The Label Design / Branding Review
The St. Ambrose Draft Style Mead series labels definitely stands out. They are consistent across the series and are super bright and vibrant. The yellow lettering pops, and the illustration is unique and well done – tying in the name of the product.
The overall layout and typography could however use some refinement. The “arts and crafts” style lettering fights with the rough, tattoo style illustration. It feels like the type thrown on top of the picture, doing the drawing a disservice. The back of the label too seems like an afterthought. The description, icon and other information seems to be thrown together in a hurry.
I like how the name has and exclamation point since the taste is “GINGER!” but I with a name like Wild Ginger! it would be cool if they used a wild yeast to tie it all together.
Wild Ginger! Review Summary
If your ginger fan like me you’ll enjoy this refreshing beverage. It drinks very similar to an alcoholic ginger beer, but with a little more complexity. With the crisp, drinkability and the ginger kick, it’s the perfect drink for the waning days of summer and the transition into fall.
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