Post by G on Sept 8, 2009 1:42:45 GMT -5
I would normally never make a thread about soft drinks or sodas. And I have to say, in general I'm not a Ginger Ale type of drinker. But I have to talk about this one drink I discovered years ago called Blenheim.
About 10-12 years ago I was in Ocracoke, NC which is a nice island accessible only by plane or ferry. Its a great vacation spot to get away from everything. One hot day while vacationing there I went to the local grocery store in search of a drink when this unique logo bottle of Blenheim Ginger Ale caught my eye. I grabbed it and purchased it and popped it open and took a sip and by time the stuff hit my tonsils, I was in heaven and have never been the same since. I would return everyday while on vacation to have another Blenheim. It was something I never tired of. When I would leave the island, I would often remember that drink and crave it. When I returned the following summers, it was just as much a draw to grab a Blenheim as it was to be on the island itself.
Let me say, this stuff has a burn to it that is all its own. It can actually make you cough if drank too quickly. It will definitely clear your sinuses. And not only that, the taste is so spicy and unique. I cannot find another drink like it.
And don't try and compare it to other ginger ales. I'm sorry, I don't care what ginger ale you inform me of. There is no better ginger ale in this world than Blenheim. Its simply the best. Period!
But let me tell you, the problem is just finding the stuff. In the years that have followed, I would go back to the island and they stopped carrying it!!! I was crushed! It would be another 3 or 4 years before I seen it again at my local mall. I about fell over and bought a couple 6 packs each time Im there. Get these babies home and ice cold and when you pop the cap on them, its like you are celebrating! I savor ever sip of it, every time!
But then again, I went back to the store in the mall that had it and they stopped carrying it!!! I was crushed! Once again years would pass and I stopped in a corner store that was old timey relic kind of a store and there in their coolers was more Blenheim!!! They only had about 4-12 bottles every time I went there. And every time, I would buy them all!
Sadly, that little store closed down about 3 years ago and I haven't had a Blenheim since! I keep telling myself Im going to look it up on the internet and I keep forgetting about it, but I finally remembered tonight. I find I am not alone in finding fans of the product. Nor am I alone in the cult following of the unending search to find this stuff. Many a person falls in loves with it and makes it a point to search it out. It appears mail order will be the only way I can come across any any time soon. And I just may have to do it because I miss it that much!
And it turns out, the flavor I had been drinking is the "not so hot" version. And that stuff physically burns! I mean for a long period of time. You have a buzz when you are done drinking it. Its with you for the next few hours. Nope, there is one that they have called HOT HOT! with red bottle caps also known as Old Number 3! I've GOT TO TRY IT!!! Got to! Ive been reading that it has literally kicked some people to the floor. Some fools grab it and take a guzzle and wind up with a head on fire! Honestly, knowing what I know about the flavor Ive tried and loved all these years, I can only imagine how great the HOT HOT version is.
Why is this product so hard to find? Well, its been around over 100 years and was run by a single family in South Carolina. Originally they hand bottled and shook every bottle that went to market. Finally in the early 90s they sold it to a company that had greater ideas with it, but seem to have respected the concept of the original owners with a very slow rate of growth over the years. Its typically only found in the Carolinas and Virginia and even those places may only have it occasionally. Check out this website for a more thorough history of the product.
blenheimshrine.com/
I also found a somewhat corny video of the blenheim bottling plant. You can quickly see how meager the place is run by very few people.
Anyway, I just have to say if you have never tried this stuff and you just happen to come across it. I urge you to give it a shot. I also recommend to take a slow sip to gauge your tolerance for it. Even though I've never been a Ginger Ale person my whole life. Ive been hooked on this stuff from the day I tried it and I cant wait to get my next bottle of it. To me personally.....its that good!!!
