Sailing around Australia; Ginger Beer, What Can You Say?

Bundaberg, Queensland

18/8/2015 Ginger Beer; What can you say?

So after arriving in Port Bundaberg on the weekend, Monday was the day to hire a car and go exploring, shopping and provisioning.

First up on our agenda, was to steer the hire a clunker to the rum distillery. Why this was so interesting to me a tea totaller and Leanne a wine connoisseur I am not sure.

At the marina we had instructions for the nearest Aldi but had forgotten to get instructions to the distillery. This must have been fate though because as we followed our noses in search of rum, we stumbled across the Bundaberg Ginger beer factory.

Those who know me well could say that I am a fan of Bundaberg Ginger Beer. I have been called Captain Ginger Beard. So it was a no brainer that we would go in and have a look.

The marketing arm of Bundaberg brewed drinks is housed in a giant ½ barrel that looks like it is lying on its side, buried in the ground.

Inside there is lots of ginger beer merchandise and you can pay for an “interactive” tour. Sounds great.

After paying $12.50 per person we were given what looked like one of the first ever mobile phones. You press the corresponding number and hold the phone thingy up to your ear, to hear what is being said.

I lived on a farm when I grew up and my folks often had a ginger beer brew on the go. The most interesting thing about it was watching it bubble away. Once in a while there was excitement when the brew exploded, but generally it was a pretty tame affair.

I should have remembered that before we forked out half our weeks entertainment budget on a tour of the Ginger beer factory.

Turns out that even at the ginger beer factory, there isn’t much more excitement they can put into it. You mix the ginger with yeast and sugar, then add more sugar and voila… ginger beer.

Not to say they hadn’t put some effort into creating an interactive experience. There were a few buttons to push to see the particular display come to life. There was a hologram display that was interesting from the technological aspect, but the content and over acting would make it painful for a six year old to sit through.

There was a five minute movie on how they grow the ginger. Step 1; put it in the ground, Step 3; water and fertilise it. Step 3; Pull it up and cut the leaves off.

They also ran a five minute movie on how they built the big barrel building, just to stretch out your visit. So after being lulled into a sense of dullness by the story of how ginger beer is made, you enter the tasting area.

Here they have a dozen or so different drinks or as we found out sugar in a bottle. There are some exotic flavours like guava and passionfruit or some more mundane like lemon lime and bitters or lemonade. They are very proud to say all these are traditionally brewed.

After that tasting session you do feel like you have chomped half a kilo of sugar straight out of the packet. You have trouble pronouncing your words, your blood seems to tingle in your veins and you feel ready for anything… until a few minutes later when you come down; right down. So yeah, sort of like a big wine tasting session, without the hangover.

The up shot of the visit for me was that I still like the Ginger beer. Being a tea totaller, it is nice to have a “beer” at beer o’clock. It also gives me something to do with my hands at social gatherings.

But really, Ginger beer is Ginger beer. There is not much to say about it.