231/365
I went back and forth on making this one into a lemonade, but finally decided in favour. I don’t know why I felt like it might not work, because it has lemon as one of its main ingredients. Maybe because it’s a rooibos? I did it anyway, so…
It’s…interesting. The ginger is pretty fiery, so there’s a really spicy kick throughout that’s pretty spot-on for ginger beer. Underlying that is sweet, creamy lemon, which reminds me quite a bit of Della Terra’s Lemon Chiffon. I guess it works with the ginger, but I’m finding I’m having to think about that – maybe it’s the creaminess? There’s the tiniest hint of lime towards the end of the sip, which is a actually what I like most about it. It freshens and brightens the whole thing to a surprising degree, given that it’s a relatively small flavour component.
I think it works as a lemonade, and although it’s obviously a fair bit sweeter than it would be in water, I don’t feel like it’s overpowering in any way. I found that some teas (like Strawberry Lemonade) became very candy-like with a sweetness that was noticeably heightened, but that’s not the case here. The ginger is really bold, and there’s a pleasing sharpness from the lemon/lime that somehow seems to keep the sugar in check – if you discount the creaminess. That’s the only thing that seems slightly off here, even though I’m 100% certain I’d like it as a standalone flavour. Everything else is bold and emphatically not-sweet, and then there’s this soft, moussy creaminess in the mid-sip that, while lovely, just doesn’t quite seem to fit in.
I think if you’re a ginger fan, you really need to try this. I’m not, but there’s enough lemon to redeem it in my eyes. Putting it in lemonade was probably a good idea after all, although I’m interested in trying it in water just to see. I’m also going to have to give some of it to my Dad, because I think he’ll really appreciate this one.
