Think about the classic imagery: a glass bottle of Canada Dry, a bowl of broth, and a box of saltines. It’s a cultural touchstone. This stuff is the honorary beverage of the "BRAT diet" (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast). It’s what flight attendants hand you for motion sickness, and what diner waitresses bring for a hangover. It’s brilliant marketing disguised as medicine.
In Japan, you’ll find an entire aisle of "Shoga-yu" (ginger tea) that is actually medicinal. In India, ginger is used in savory dishes for digestion. America, bless its heart, took a powerful root and turned it into a soda that’s served with vodka at brunch. We have a complicated relationship with the truth of ginger ale.
Fun fact: The first ginger ale was actually brewed in Ireland in the 1850s and had an alcohol content of about 11%. It was essentially a spicy beer. So, if you’re feeling truly bad, maybe skip the modern version and imagine you’re sipping something from a historical pub. It makes the experience feel a little more romantic.
Ginger Ale Is Healthy
