What Makes Blenheim Ginger Ale Hot?

What makes blenheim hot ginger ale?

If you have ever tasted the Blenheim Ginger Ale, the fiery spiciness that hits you will make you wonder about the ingredients behind the kick.

Never fear; we will answer your questions in this article.

Blenheim hot ginger ale, acclaimed to be the pride of South Carolina, has captured the hearts of residents of the southern state and their visitors alike since the late 1800s with its sweet and fiery taste.

John T. Edge, one of the most prominent connoisseurs of Southern culture and foods, describes it as “a slap to the face from a spurned lover.”

Blenheim Brief History

While fleeing from the British during the Revolutionary War in 1781, James Spears lost his shoe in the Blenheim area of South Carolina.

When he returned to pick it up, he discovered that water had pooled in the depression the shoe left behind.

He tasted it and discovered that it had a distinct mineral taste.

Word soon got around about the natural mineral spring in the town, and people started drinking it for its health benefits.

Unfortunately, the drink tasted terrible.

So, Dr. Charles R. May experimented with it a little and added Jamaican ginger and sugar, which people loved.

In 1903, he partnered with A.J. Matheson to open the Blenheim Bottling Company, built right next to the natural spring.

He was soon producing his unique spicy drink i.e spicy ginger ale and selling it on a larger scale. 

In 1993, Alan Schafer bought the company and moved the bottling plant south of the border.

There are currently three varieties of Blenheim Ginger Ale, namely:

1. Old #3 Hot (Red Cap)
2. #5 Not as Hot (Gold Cap)
3. #9 Diet (White Cap)
4. Old #3 Hot (Red Cap): This is the original recipe and has the boldest flavor of all the varieties. It is hot but not uncomfortably so. Its primary attraction to spice lovers is how its sinus-clearing heat renders you breathless for a minute.

2. #5 Not as Hot (Gold Cap): The #5 is a milder version of Hot Number 3 but still contains some of the kick from the ginger that the drink lovers enjoy.

3. #9 Diet (White Cap): More calorie-conscious drinkers are not left out as they can enjoy the Blenheim Diet Ginger Ale without worrying about the extra pounds settling on their hips and stomach.

Blenheim Ginger Ale has a variety of uses.

It can be enjoyed as a soft drink on its own and can be a mixer for both mocktails and cocktails.

People also use Blenheim Ginger Ale to cook dishes.

Cocktails

1. Irish Gold – made with Blenheim Ginger Ale, Whiskey, peach schnapps, orange juice, and a lime wheel for garnishing.
2. The El Diablo – made with Blenheim Ginger beer, Reposado Tequila, Half a lime, cracked ice, Creme de Cassis.
3. The Moscow Mule – made with Blenheim Ginger Ale, Smirnoff vodka, sugar syrup, lime juice, lime wedge, mint sprig.
4. Dark & Stormy – made with Blenheim Old #3 Hot, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, fresh lime juice.
5. Light & Stormy – made with Blenheim Old #3 Hot, freshly squeezed lime juice, Cane Rum, lime wedge.
6. Last of Our Sea Sorrow – made with Blenheim Old #3 Hot, lime juice, Ron Pampero Aniversario or other dark, aged rum, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, and lime to garnish.
7. The S.O.B (South of the Border) – made with Blenheim Old #3 Hot, Anejo Tequila, and fresh lime juice

Mocktails

1. Lime Sherbet Punch – made with lime sherbet Blenheim #5 Not as Hot real Ginger beers, pineapple juice, lemon slices, lime slices.

Cooking

You can use Blenheim Ginger Ale as a marinade for chicken dishes, sauce, or tenderizer for meat, and as a substitute for beer can chicken.

Blenheim Bottling makes Blenheim Ginger Ale from various ingredients, including sucrose, carbonated water, citric acid, caramel color.

Sodium benzoate (preservative) and natural flavoring.

The spiciness associated with the soda comes from a blend of natural flavoring, including real ginger, citric acid, and other secret spices.

The Blenheim Ginger Ale Diet Soda substitutes the sugar-free sweetener, aspartame, for sucrose.

Although most sodas contain caffeine, Blenheim Ginger Ale does not.

Understandably, most people will prefer not to have a stimulant in their drinks for personal reasons.

Because of that, soda-producing companies in the United States are required to disclose if their product contains caffeine.

As a hard and fast rule, if you don’t want caffeine in your drinks, look out for the “contains caffeine” tag near the ingredients list or nutrition facts label.

If the product does not mention caffeine (like Blenheim Ginger beers), it is safe to assume that the soda is caffeine-free.

Blenheim Ginger Ale may not contain alcohol or caffeine, but it is not a drink for children unless you will be giving them the Blenheim Ginger Ale Diet.

Unlike other ginger ale sodas on the market, Blenheim Ginger beers (especially Old Number 3) are not described as thirst-quenching or refreshing.

It is pure liquid fire, so you should generally avoid giving them to your kids unless you want to use it as a valuable teaching moment.