A good non-alcoholic ginger beer is tasty and refreshing, but why have just one when you can have 16? That’s the question Pickett’s Ginger Beer asks, and answers.
Rather than getting a bottle with one serving of ginger beer, they have created a bottle of ginger beer syrup that can be paired with sparkling water or club soda in amounts that provide flavor and an extended experience.
TasteTV has tested one 16 oz bottle of this syrup and has found that just half of the bottle when used with a 25 oz bottle of San Pellegrino Sparkly Natural Mineral Water can make more than 8 into ginger beers. If one considers that the average bottle of ginger beer is 6.8 to 12 ounces, this means that you are getting at least 16 of those bottles using Pickett’s Ginger Beer syrup, depending on your preferred beverage strength.
Of course, the family-operated Pickett’s was originally focused on using this ingredient for mixed drinks. As they say, “Given the growing popularity of old school cocktails like Dark & Stormy and Moscow Mule, having a high-quality, all-natural, American-made ginger beer syrup made for restaurant soda guns was a huge opportunity.” You can also cook with it in marinades, dressings, glazes, flavor teas and other beverages.
Impressive, yes? We decided to find out more, and asked Matt Pickett (Brother #3) of Pickett’s Ginger Beer to tell us more.
INTERVIEW
TasteTV: How did the idea come to create ginger beer?
Matt Pickett: All 3 Pickett brothers grew up drinking ginger ale and when Bob and Jim moved to NYC, they discovered Ginger Beer in the late 90’s. Jim owned a NA Beverage distributor and saw that Ginger Beer was making a big comeback into the cocktail world around 2010. Jim had the idea to create a syrup for soda guns so small bars in NY could use the product without sacrificing storage space, cooler space, and also eliminating recycling waste and wasted product which is still an issue in the industry for those using cans/bottles. It was so popular, we bottled it for retail.
TasteTV: Where do you get your ginger?
Matt Pickett: We source our ingredients through a trusted co-packer who gets all his ingredients from U.S. based companies. Unlike beer you buy to drink straight out of the bottle, Pickett is used to make several ginger beers. Is there any confusion by buyers? We try to put as much info on our bottles and website, but there is always someone who needs a little extra instruction. This is one main reason we are trying to raise money to produce a Ready To Drink(RTD) version.
TasteTV: What is the difference in your opinion between regular and “spicy”?
Matt Pickett: Medium is closest to a main stream ginger beer with some citrus notes and a little ginger kick. Our spicy is one of the spiciest on the market with the addition of cayenne pepper and more ginger, it’s for people who really love ginger beer.
TasteTV: Is there a shelf life once you open the bottles?
Matt Pickett: Our bottles have been tested to be stable for 20 months, we recommend drinking it within a year of opening to get maximum taste and quality.
TasteTV: Have you faced any challenges with the business?
Matt Pickett: For the most part our product has been well received, being featured in GQ and Forbes magazine and several other big outlets. One problem has been because our syrups are on soda guns, we don’t get a lot of branding in bars/restaurants. 4 months ago, my brother and head of business Jim suffered a sudden massive stroke and died which has set us back a little bit, but we are pushing forward in his honor.
TasteTV: What are you future plans?
Matt Pickett: My sister-in-law, Jim’s wife, is stepping in to help me keep the business moving forward. Our first priority is to create RTD ginger beer so that we can reach more consumers quicker.
TasteTV: What is your favorite recipe with this?
Matt Pickett: Ginger beer may be the most versatile cocktail mixer out there, it goes with everything. But one of the best drinks I’ve created is with 1.5oz Reposado tequila, 2.5oz grapefruit soda(like squirt or jarritos), and a .5oz splash of our #3 Hot N’ Spicy syrup, lime garnish.
TasteTV: We can see this being popular with celebrities.
Matt Pickett: We met famous Chef Anne Burrell at a bar and bought her a drink, she instantly tweeted about how much she loved our product. Actor Josh Charles has also been a frequent buyer and offered his love of our product to his Twitter followers.
