Canada Dry’s Blackberry Ginger Ale is a contender for its best product. While the brand isn’t our top choice for regular ginger ale (due to a lack of actual ginger taste), Canada Dry has some creative berry flavors you’ll want to experiment with in the kitchen. Its subtle ginger notes and syrupy sweetness balance with the carbonation, making it a great mixer for cocktails. But what is the best alcohol to pair with this delicious fruity fizz?
The perfect liquor to pair with anything blackberry is gin. As a member of the Rosaceae family, blackberries are sweet and tart, and there’s a special floral or bitter undertone that makes the fruit so delectable. Gin is made by distilling the spirit with botanical elements like juniper, citrus peel, or angelica root. It can have a sharp bitterness that can almost be off-putting at times — that’s exactly why it’s a solid cocktail base. The aromatic intensity can stand alone or fit right in with a fruity companion.
A piney gin will lose some bite with the blackberry Canada Dry, softening the taste for people who might not typically flock to this liquor. Blackberry ginger ale can also be a saving grace to gin snobs who have a cheap bottle they need to dilute in some cocktails to finish. For a classic, juniper-forward gin, reach for a London Dry like Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire. For a more floral direction, a New Western gin like Hendrick’s will do the job.
Cocktail considerations for Canada Dry Blackberry
There are plenty of options other than gin to shake up your beverage routine, and blackberry ginger ale can do more than boot the tonic out of a G&T. It’s a worthy substitute for ginger beer in a Moscow mule. Vodka is more neutral than gin, so a mule will satisfy drinkers who don’t love the taste of alcohol all that much. Soju is another neutral pick that might have an even smoother swallow — the apple flavored bottles by Soon Hari are too good to resist with some blackberry ginger ale in the mix. And if you feel the urge to reach for a tequila, then grab a blanco.
To go the opposite direction of crisp and fruity, dark spirits can make for a comforting and rich experience with blackberry ginger ale. It’s an unexpected mixer for bourbon that isn’t cola because the spicy ginger works with the rich traces of vanilla and caramel. You can also put a spin on the classic spiced rum dark ‘n stormy by swapping the ginger beer for blackberry ginger ale. Any of these liquors will shine with a can of good old Canada Dry.
