Release the Kraken.

I finished that bottle of Gosling's, and since I've had no luck on the Barritt's front, I've postponed getting another one. In the meantime, I opened my other bottle of black rum from the Kraken. I've had it with my Shurfine ginger ale and another bottle of the Cock 'n Bull. I think I like the Gosling's better with the ginger ale than the Kraken, but I might prefer the Kraken with the ginger beer, at least in the Cock 'n Bull iteration, I didn't get that bitterness I was complaining about with the Gosling's and Cock 'n Bull. I might have a side by side when I get Gosling's again.

This weekend I'm headed up to the Twin Cities for a cousin's wedding.

Nix.

I called Rocket Fizz to see if Barritt's came in, and the girl who answered the phone said their shipment comes in on Monday's now. The gentleman who seemed to be placing the order when I asked him for it over a week ago expected that it might be in Wednesday or Thursday, and for sure by Friday, so maybe they do have it, but I'm fine with a break.

In other news, I'm thinking about rebooting my word blog. Should I use Blogger or Wordpress? I know some of you have used each, or is there another option that is better than either of those?

Dark and Regatta

Another good one. Better than Cock 'n Bull, so it replaces that at number four. I'm still getting a bitterness. This one is better than Cock 'n Bull alone as well. I'm hopeful that it is a solid representation of what Bermuda produces and if they chose Barritt's over this one, then Barritt's should be better.

Next up: a new bottle of Gosling's and (fingers crossed) Barritt's the original and trademarked Dark 'n' Stormy!

Dark and Cock 'n Bull

This is another good one. Yes, I'm getting a bit tired of this drink. There is a bit more bitter than sweet/smooth than I would prefer. Let's put it at number four behind Squamscot, Buderim, and Maine Root.

Depending on who you believe, Cock 'n Bull was started by a guy trying to make vodka popular and a guy trying to get rid of his ginger beer and copper mugs, hence the Moscow Mule. I didn't really like the one Moscow Mule I've tried before. Cock 'n Bull has a recipe for the drink on the box and the bottle, more lime. That might be why it is more bitter. Regardless this is formulated for mixing, not drinking alone, and maybe for drinking only with vodka.

Up Next: Regatta Ginger Beer Authentic Bermuda Stone

Dark and Old Jamaican

Meh. So this bottle has more reading than is good for its 10.14 ounces. Naturally and Artificially Flavored Carbonated Beverage Ginger Beer TWIST. Looking at the ingredients the twist is lime and ginger. The ingredients are filtered water, sugar, concentrated lime juice, natural and artificial ginger and lime flavors, gum arabic, citric acid, sodium benzoate, and carbon dioxide. And get this, it is a product of Canada bottled for an address in Jamaica.

What I thought was an off taste was a bitterness from the lime. Fortunately, I got some Cock 'n Bull today, so I'm gonna throw out this tasting and substitute that one.

Theme Songs

Justified, Trueblood, The Life and Times of Tim, The Ricky Gervais Show. These are shows that I started watching this Spring whose theme songs I really enjoy. I've since stopped watching The Life and Times of Tim, but the others are good. I've linked to the songs in each title.

Dark and Buderim

This is another good one. Must be something with calling it ginger "Brew" instead of ginger beer. It is a little lighter in hue than the Squamscot and a smidge stronger, but some time in the glass with melting ice cubes and a few more swirls mellows that.

Alone, it is very similar to the Squamscot, with more bite in the finish and sweeter. Again, it is another pure cane sugar soda. And on second thought, I think the sweetness is what helps it meld with the rum. You don't know if you're getting the sweetness from the rum or the ginger brew, and that's a good thing.

Up next is Old Jamaican Ginger Beer Twist with Natural and Artificial Flavorings.

Dark and Squamscot

We might have a leader in the clubhouse with this one. It has the slow peppery burn that I think should distinguish the dark and stormy from the ginger gale. It also succeeds where the previous two failed in becoming the sum of its parts. Flavor profile-wise, it is more subtle than the Maine Root Ginger Brew, and with a honey color it makes for a prettier drink, probably, than the greenish, cloudy Ginger Brew.

Drunk alone without the rum, I think the cane sugar instead of corn syrup serves the drink well. It has an effervescent and refreshing punch.

Next up: Buderim Ginger "Authentic Australian" Ginger Brew

Dark and Saranac Ginger Beer

The Saranac is a delightful drink alone, but like Sioux City (though better executed), it seems to be a ginger flavored soda. As you can see from the picture, it is much fizzier with more head than the previous two (that's what she said). This one is closer in flavor to the ginger gale, but with more of the black rum present, the combination then tastes a bit--off.

I don't know what impact two fewer ice cubes had on this tasting, though I made sure to still use eight ounces of the ginger beer with two ounces of rum. Up next is Squamscot.

Dark and Sioux City Ginger Beer

The first difference I noticed between this one and the Maine Root was the color. Maine was cloudy and slightly green, while Sioux City was clear and brown, like iced tea. Sioux City also paled in comparison when it came to flavor/taste. It didn't have the bite of the Maine Root, and while it has more punch than a ginger ale, it is a big meh on the ginger beer spectrum. Tasting it alone, without the rum, it reminds me of Sioux City's sarsaparilla with ginger added, and sort of an artificial flavor.

As for with the rum, it isn't any thing to write home about (though it is enough to blog about). I don't know what Barritt's is like or what the other five I have are, but this one seems to be sitting on the fence twixt ginger ale and ginger beer, so I'd rather have one of those two, than one that doesn't know what it wants to do.

Dark and Maine Root Ginger Brew

It begins! Initially (pre-stir) this had a lot of the bite of a ginger beer, that peppery, sorta harsh ginger with an inkling of fermented power. This was subdued with a stir but is still present with a scratchy ginger at the top of the throat. Definitely not the same drink as a Ginger Gale. With the Ginger Gale you don't have the taste of the ginger ale or the black rum, they blend to form a new happy libation. With this drink you have that punch of the ginger brew and a sweet shadow of the rum.

My method is six ice cubes of boiled Brita water (boiling and cooling before freezing makes for a clearer ice cube), two ounces of Gosling's Black Seal Rum, then filling the 12 ounce glass to the top with ginger beer (there were four ounces remaining in the bottle).

Operation Weekly

I found this blog mentioned in a beer blog I follow. Keith and Stephanie are doing one thing each day for a month. Last month was a different beer each day. This month they're doing this.

I've been drinking Ginger Gales the last two weeks, and they're really delicious. What I want to drink is a Dark 'n' Stormy, but I need Barritt's Ginger Beer in addition to the Gosling's Black Seal Rum that I already have been enjoying with my Ginger Gales. I requested it from Rocket Fizz, a soda and candy store in Lincoln. They have a pretty wide selection of brands (Boylan, Squamscot, AJ Stephans, Sioux City, and Faygo) and flavors within those brands.

Anyway, I have seven of their ginger beers, and my plan is to have one each night in the week leading up to Friday the 14th when Rocket Fizz should have Barritt's.

I should also have some pictures with the camera I got for my birthday.