Ale-8-One

Is it ALE-8-1? Ale-8-One? or "A Late One"?

Is this a ginger ale? Ginger soda?

Well, it has all the makings of a classic soft drink. Created by G.L. Wainscott in the 1920s in Kentucky, the beverage is still bottled in Winchester. It got the name A Late One in a name the beverage contest. The company used Ale-8-1 as a pun on the winning entry for its logo.

The recipe is a secret, though it clearly contains ginger, and is known by only two people. That some cachet on par with Coca-Cola, no?

There is plenty of history and Kentucky pride associated with this soft drink. Let's see if it is worth all this fuss.

Presentation/Appearance - 7/10 Looks like a ginger ale after pouring from a green glass bottle with a twist off cap. Label has a cool retro feel to it and the bottle contains the raised logo and the dates 1926-2009 to show the heritage of the beverage.. Woodcut of Mr. Wainscott (1867-1944) is on every bottle. After sitting in the glass, it also has the appearance of a cream soda. Doesn't it?

Nose/Aroma - 6/10 Clean, like a mild ginger ale. Not spicy at all.

Taste/Flavor - 6/10 I can't help the comparisons to ginger ale. It has ginger flavors for sure, but it is not a ginger ale, and it doesn't claim to be one. It would be a rather weak ginger ale and a far sweeter one. But I am not going to hold that against this drink. It is tasty, if a touch sugary.

Finish/Satisfaction - 6/10 Sweet throughout the mouth. Short finish that on some sips borders on cloying, while on others I taste more of the ginger.

Overall - 6.05/10 This is a solid beverage but it isn't knocking my socks off. There is nothing quite like it, but should there be? Is there a niche for a sweet ginger drink? Isn't this covered by not-so-good ginger ales?

All right, I know what a Bourbon Buck is. Maybe this would make a Kentucky Buck, with a homer substitution for the ginger ale. The Ale-8-1 website has cocktail recipes, but I am sure that Kentuckians have created their own concoctions over the years. Can anyone point me to one?