Misty Withers Ginger Beer

A Roaring-Twenties period piece in a bottle, Orca Beverage's Misty Withers leads with a sweet, ginger-laced nose, then plays it coy on the palate: it opens drier than it smells before the sweetness slowly crescendos to a soft, candied peak. Through the middle a rich, earthy ginger asserts itself with genuine, above-average heat that prickles across the mouth and lips and lingers well past the swallow. The gradual build sets it apart from ginger beers that hit all at once, and a cane-sugar-plus-stevia sweetening keeps it light without tasting diet. Pale and nearly clear, it is a heat-forward sipper that rewards patience.