Gingerale: Schweppes vs Canada Dry

I know there a lot of ginger ales out there, but this “British/Canadian” pair happened to be in the same convenience store so I got them and will most likely conduct a re-match with another product at some point. After all, I’m big fan of Worcester’s own Polar brand, but not sure if it’s available out side New England. Since I recently declared my love for Sky Bar, I’d post about something more available to everyone else (but I will come back to Polar!)


Schweppes:

Schweppes has a nice golden color and although it doesn’t look bubbly in this picture, it was when we drank it. It had the expected gingery taste but we also found this to be particularly sweet. It seemed to be a little too syrupy. Other than that it was pretty good.


Canada Dry:

This looked pretty much the same, and actually tasted very similar too. We did notice that it was subtly different though. Ethan said it had a bit fuller body and I noticed that it was slightly less syrupy.


Wrap up:

We’d go with our Canadian friend because it wasn’t as sweet (just by a little bit) but we both agreed that we probably wouldn’t notice the difference enough to refuse Schweppes if that was all that was available. The nice thing about ginger ale is that I think it’s hard to screw up (but I could be wrong). I’ll have to bring in the Polar and do a re-match for sure.

Schweppes or Canada Dry?

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33 thoughts on “Gingerale: Schweppes vs Canada Dry

  1. You ought to try Vernor’s. It’s the best Ginger Ale I’ve ever tasted–though its only available at Kroger’s markets outside of Michigan, I think!

  2. I prefer Kirks they make excellent ginger beer, also Bundaberg makes excellent ginger beer in brown stubbies. ? Looks like a beer, but is actually ginger beer. ?

  3. FWIW, I live in Nashville, TN and our Food Lion stores care Polar Root Beer and Cream Soda. I believe I’ve seen their Ginger Ale as well, but I rarely pay much attention in that section of the drinks.

  4. If you live near a Wegmans, try their store brand. It’s the best by a long margin – not too sweet and with a real spicy ginger “kick” that the other brands seem to miss.

  5. Yes – you MUST look for Vernor’s. It’s pretty exclusive to MI and anywhere MI snowbirds may be gathered, but I’ve found it here in Chicago sometimes. Nothing else tastes the same.

  6. I’m so NOT a ginger ale fan, but what I wanted to say was that I LOVE YOUR GLASSES! I’ve been begging the hubby to let me get a set of these type of glasses for a long time. So far he’s resisting me. After seeing yours in action, I’m going to try harder!!

  7. Seagram’s is better than both of them in my opinion
    Canada Dry tastes too much like Sprite and not ‘gingery’ enough

  8. Canada Dry is my absolute favourite drink. If you never have, I really recommend trying the Cranberry Ginger Ale or the Green Tea Ginger Ale, both are amazing.

  9. Do whatever you have to (buy on line and pay for the shipment) in order to taste, just once, Cock’n Bull ginger ale. If you like the taste of ginger and you aren’t under 13 this is a gift from God.

  10. I have had my fair share of Ginger Ale soda. The best tasting Ginger Ale is Vernor’s. It has a very sweet and smooth after taste. I recommend it.

  11. Randi,
    Try Target for a similar Libbey Vina Stemless 16.5 Ounce Red Wine Glasses, Set of 4. About $12. Macy’s has one with a heavier base but they are $10 each.
    Vernor’s is unique taste and not ginger ale. Love Vernor’s floats!

  12. I am a true ginger ale drinker, besides water and the occasional juice or tea that is all I drink. I have tried them all, and by far Canada Dry ginger ale is the best!

  13. I recently discovered Bundaberg Ginger Beer on a trip down under and fell in love. I’ve been a fan of ginger ale for a long time, but this blew all my previous favorites away. It’s hard to find in the states, but if you have one nearby, World Market gets an occasional shipment.
    Good site ?

  14. Schweppes is the best! I actually find Canada Dry to be too sweet and Schweppes the less syrupy. I’m so prejudiced that I actually refuse CD if it comes down to it. (One night, when I was craving, I had to go to four different grocery stores before I could find one with Schweppes in stock.)

  15. Long time ginger ale drinker here and I’ll have to side with Canada Dry – but the reason for posting a comment…
    in your article you noted “hard to screw-up”. Well, I’m Canadian and for business have traveled across most of Canada and the US. I’ve found ginger ale pretty commonly available right across Canada, but not so in the States. Seems in many parts of the southern states, it is just not that common. So one day while traveling in Shreveport I sat down at the hotel bar after a long day’s work and asked for a ginger ale, expecting the hostess to look at me funny and ask what that was. Instead she said, sure, back in a minute. She came back to my seat, placed a glass in front of me, poured about an inch of Pepsi into it, and filled the rest with Sprite. She looked at me, smiled and said she’d be back in a minute to take my order. I got up and left.

  16. Neither. Neither one has any serious flavor. Some like it hot, and I’m one of them. I mix half-and-half Grace-brand (Canada) and D&G (Jamaica). Grace is HOT, HOT, HOT, and the cane sugar in D&G dances on my tongue.
    P.S. Yes, I’ve had the highly regarded Vernors. My assessment: Nyet, nyet, nyet! That “oak barrel” treatment — it always tasted like a dog had lifted its leg on the barrel and it soaked into the brew.

  17. Aren’t these both made by Schweppes anyway?
    A better drink by Schweppes is Dry Ginger Ale. It has no sugar or sweetener and is meant to be used as a mixer, but is very refreshing drunk alone because it’s not sweet. Unfortunately, like tart yogurt it seems the American palette can’t stomach it, so to speak, and it doesn’t seem to be available in the USA. An online search only turns up Australian distributors so I’ll have to pay $5+shipping for 4 tiny bottles.

  18. Blenheim’s is the best ginger ale in the world. If you haven’t tried it, you have inadequate information on which to judge other ginger ales. Winner, hands down.

  19. You know how I said in one of my comments that I don’t think I’ll kill the Mtn. Dew addiction? I think I’ve found my solution: Canada Dry Ginger Ale. They had Dr.Pepper/7UP products on sale(A&W,Crush Orange,7UP,RC Cola,etc.) at Wal-Mart and they had Canada Dry on sale. We bought one bottle,and then yesterday I was getting my glasses fixed,and we bought two more bottles. Finally,a Mountain Dew addiction killer.

  20. OK,so now I’ve tried Schweppes and I think I like that better than Canada Dry. Or “Cananada Dry” as my dad calls it. ?

  21. Too funny! And I thought I ws the only crazy one and the difference !! My primary usage of GA is making a Jim Beam and Ginger for my sweetie ! With a dash of bitters! I noticed the difference betyween CD and Schweppes – I think CD brings out the flavor of the Jim Beam best !!

  22. I wanted to mention Fentimans – who have ginger ale plus a few others – their tonic water makes fantastic G&T ! The other great tonic is Q tonic – probably the real best tonic !@ If you have to ruin great gin with tonic – use Q tonic ! I just made that up! LOL
    BTW – Fentimans is the soda that the State of Maine censored for having a minute amount of alcohol because it was naturally fermented.

  23. Ginger beer is really strong ginger ale. IMO Vernors tastes like a cross between cream soda and ginger ale. It is very, very sweet and syrupy. I prefer Canada Dry but I will drink any dry ginger ale available. I travel around the US quite a bit for work and Schweppes and Canada Dry are the easiest to find.
    Raised in Michigan, but no Vernors fan.

  24. Muskoka Pale Ginger Ale.
    It’s not that hard to make it ‘old style’ with a nice punchy, slightly earthy and slightly spicy hit of ginger flavor, using just cane sugar (no corn syrup.) These guys do a nice job, it takes me right back to the 1980’s when I think major brands tasted more like ginger and less like watered-down Sprite (weak citrus flavors we are now used to.) Pop Shoppe also made a nice strong-tasting ginger ale.
    I see Muskoka Springs sold in southern Ontario stores, and while the orange pop they make is really not my thing I think the ginger is great. I’m keen to try the Ginger Beer if I can get it up in Muskoka.

  25. I am a Seagram’s Ginger Ale girl all the way and i got my husband hooked on it. I will drive a distance to get it and nothing else is close to it. I don’t know why it isn’t available everywhere… Seagrams does both Gin and Gingerale the best!

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  27. I have not been able to find blackberry ginger ale by Canada Dry since I bought it at Christmas at Sams Club. Is there any store in Nashville, TN that sells this item?

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