Classic Soda Syrup - Brewed Ginger Beer product reviews

My husband was quite excited when I opened the review box to find a bottle of Barkers Brewed Ginger Beer Syrup, for a few reasons - mostly because he has been making an effort to drink less sugary drinks, because we had not yet found a nice alternative and also that it is definitely getting warmer here in Blenheim, and on his arrival home from work, the first thing he does is make a nice cold drink.

Barkers is an awesome New Zealand brand that has been around for a a lot of years - in fact in 2019 it will be a big birthday for them in Geraldine, of 50 years, and still producing the same high standard as when they started! I already enjoy a fair few of their products, so was fairly sure of the quality and taste I may experience, with the high standards they continue to strive and attain.

The bottle itself is glass - which I love - I recycle them by washing them out and using them for a variety of things, including having ready made drink in the fridge, nice and cold. The label is simple and wholesome - and very recognisable. Turning it around, it has nutritional details on the back as well as instructions for making it up. It states that the one 750 ml bottle of syrup makes about 25 glasses, but having just finished the bottle, we must have made it a little weaker - as it made 31, which is not a bad thing, comparing it to the price of ready made ginger beer. It has a small amount of sugar and sodium, which is a definite plus.

Upon pouring out the syrup, it contained a bit of pulp, which I initially found off putting, until I thought about proper brewed ginger beer and realised it was similar to that, which, when making a drink from a syrup makes it seem less like it is! I paired mine with soda water, whilst my hubby did his with sparkling water, and both worked really well - giving nice bubbles without taking away the flavour. I have paired this with normal chilled water and also hot water - and personally feel the ginger and honey is better for the hot water - with this one being best with chilled liquids.

The taste is really good - not too strong, but does pack a punch. I personally used a bit less than recommended to make mine, but prefer my drinks less sweet - hubby thought that the ratio made it taste perfect.

We will definitely be purchasing this again, and looking out for other flavours. It is so good to have "old school" syrups rather than sugary sweet ones, as flavour over a sugar hit is definitely preferable for us!

Barkers is an iconic brand produced in a little South Canterbury town of Geraldine, my father and I recently paid their factory store a visit and we were entirely impressed by the way is was run and the vast array of products on offer.

This Barkers Brewed Ginger Beer syrup came at the just the right time at our house! My two daughters were both suffering from nasty colds with horrendous sore throats and they were looking for something to help soothe their throat pain. I read on the label that it was best mixed one part to six parts soda water, but I decided to mix it with water and ice cubes just to give their red raw throats some respite.

When I poured the drink, I noticed that the syrup was a little pulpy and I really think that added to its authenticity, giving a lovely enticing appearance in our tall glasses. The first sip was really nice, not too overpowering with a really crisp taste and both my girls liked that they could increase either the syrup or water to get the drink to be at their taste preference. Well I'm pleased to say, the Ginger beer did help with their throats with both of them asking for more the next and the days after that. I love that I can keep the syrup in my fridge and use with any mixer, such as lemonade, soda water, water or hot water even for a real winter's night treat.

The price is good for the amount of drinks you can make out of the bottle (25 glasses = 23c a drink) and I'm sure with the added benefit of being low calorie, with no artificial sweeteners and gluten free too, it will certainly appeal to a wide range of people.

This has been a major hit in this house, with it now going onto the shopping list. We have looked at supermarket and the price is great for the size of the bottle, and is well worth it for the amazing flavour. Bottle label makes things stand out, and easy to read. Great supporting another New Zealand made product, and also another New Zealand product that is available at most supermarkets.

Lemonade with splash of this ginger beer syrup was how I tried this. I found that it is not as strong in flavour like other pre-made ginger beer drinks. It was best to just add a splash and then keep adding little bits at a time to get the flavour I liked. I found that all 6 members of my family liked this at different strengths. Best not to add syrup first as it would sit in the bottom of the glass, I found adding after lemonade it spread better through the liquid. My children also liked this syrup as well, and they can be fussy.

We are very interested in trying all the other flavours that Barkers have in this Soda Syrup range. I see it is also Gluten Free which means it is something I can get my mother and Nana to try. What caught my eye was the NO artificial sweetener and low calorie, great to help in my weight loss.

Barkers Classic Soda Syrup - Brewed Ginger Beer is a delightful drink the whole family would enjoy. I received the bottle and straight away my son asked to make up a drink. We recently brought a soda stream machine and my son is so excited about the different drinks he can make from home. We brought a ginger beer flavour by soda stream when we purchased the machine however the Barkers brewed ginger beer wins my vote.

We always keep the bottled of water in the fridge ready to go so whenever we make drinks it is already chilled. We pumped up a bottle and added the syrup, which was a bit of a guess of how much to put it the bottle. The Barkers bottle recommends dilute 1 part Barker's with 6 parts soda water to taste, so I guessed how much would be needed for the bottle.

My first taste I was sold, and so was my son. We both really enjoyed it and he also commented on how he likes this flavour than the one we had already purchased. I also really love how it is 47% less sugar as I am currently pregnant and trying to be mindful about my sugar intake. I found this drink really refreshing and because I am trying to keep my fluid intake up this is a good alternative then water all the time. I have just read now that the bottle needs to be refrigerated after opening which I have had it sitting on the bench, so hopefully it will still be ok once put in the fridge now.

I would be recommended this to friends who also own soda machines and for the price I think it is great. You get 25 glasses out of the bottle of Barker's brewed ginger beer and for the price you pay for ginger beer at the shops that is a mega savings right there. I also really like the glass bottle and labelling, simple but effective.

What a wonderful thirst quencher for the middle of a hot day! We were travelling, so did not have access to a SodaStream machine, but we found some plain soda at a supermarket so used that to mix into the syrup. The soda had come straight from the supermarket chiller, so we were able to enjoy wonderfully cold drinks in a local park with our picnic lunch.

Responses were all 100% positive. Our friends are both ginger beer fans; he used to prepare his own home-made brew, and made it for several years before they moved south to a smaller house where there was no space (or time) for extra cottage industries! But they have continued to enjoy commercially produced drinks, so they were delighted when we asked them to help us to evaluate a product that was new to them. We had a very simple pub style lunch: bread rolls, cheese, cold meat, and salad, so there were no strong flavours to mask the taste of the ginger beer.

The end result was fantastic, and all the more so because there was only a small amount of added sugar, and the other sweeteners were all natural. Some sugar-reduced products can be sour, but there was no unpleasant aftertaste at all with this syrup. It was sweet enough to satisfy all four of us, and there was the additional bonus of a full-bodied ginger flavour. I wanted someone to make a negative comment, but it was not happening; none of us could identify a single aspect of the mix that was not positive.

That evening, we made three whisky and soda drinks and added a dash of the ginger syrup. (I don't drink whisky, but I had a sip out of my partner's glass so that I could try it!) The three of them all gave it the thumbs up and asked for a top up! The taste I had was delicious, so I could see why they liked it; it was a smooth, flavoursome drink with a kick from the combined ginger and whisky. The ginger and soda mix would almost certainly go well with mulled wine too, although I would use less soda so it was not too heavily diluted. Something to try on a cold night next winter.

I intended to bring the rest of the syrup back home at the end of the weekend. I certainly returned with the bottle, but it was empty - the drink was so nice that we had completely finished it over the course of the break! I will be buying it again, and I am sure our friends will also be putting it on their shopping list!

I have always loved ginger beer and I have fond memories of helping Mum make it and waiting for what seemed like forever for it to be ready to drink. Barker's have released a Brewed Ginger Beer Classic Soda Syrup and it tastes just like I remember. The people at Barker's have done the hard work and taken the time so I don't have to wait patiently anymore. As a non-drinker I often buy ginger beer when I am out and know that all ginger beers are not created equal, but I also know that Barker's make great products.

As to be expected with ginger beer the bottle needs a good shake as there is sediment on the bottom. What I was surprised by was how low in sugar it was and this meant fewer calories too. My favourite drink is now even healthier for me. I had recently bought some a ginger beer ice blocks and although I really enjoyed them the price meant I wasn't going to enjoy another one for a while. I decided to make my own ginger beer ice blocks using the syrup with some still water, a bit stronger than I would normally make it. The next evening when I came in from a hot walk with the dog I was in Heaven. These ice blocks were both refreshing and tasted great.

I have also been enjoying the syrup with soda water. This has been very enjoyable and I certainly couldn't taste that it was low in sugar. I think I will try it as a hot drink in winter, like a hot toddy. I am sure this would be to my liking too. I will be buying this again as I certainly will be having more ice blocks.