Junk Food Nation, Happy Father’s Day! To my own dad and all the dads out there – today is your day, man.  Today means NBA Finals, Sunday of the US Open, and all the pork rinds you can eat.  Boo yah.

I’m off to the Fancy Food Show in a couple hours, so this review is gonna be … fast.  Remember, I’ll be tweeting, Facebooking, and Instagramming all day, so if you want live up to date reports from the Fancy Food Show and all the gourmet crap I’ll be eating, you gotta follow me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page.

Today’s junk food: Idris Fiery Ginger Beer!

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: The Money Shot

I bought this Idris Fiery Ginger Beer in the “Ireland” section of my Wegmans grocery store for about $1.25. Funny, I never SAW this is Ireland.  Still, cool looking can, and a clear verbal taunt on the front.  How could I pass it up?

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: Idris is an Islamic prophet who looks like Stringer Bell

3Idris Fiery Ginger Beer

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: OH I DARE. I DARE, IDRIS!

As far as I know, Ginger Beer tastes basically like Ginger Ale.  It’s a soft drink that has no alcohol in it whatsoever.  Fun.

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: Sugar and…why are you hiding some of the ingredients?

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: Peeled back — GAAAH!  Sugar AND aspartame!?  WTF.

As I was drinking this Idris Fiery Ginger Beer, I was curious what ingredients the adhesive label covered. And lo and behold – it was hiding the fact that this contained both sugar and aspartame!!!!  So clever label placement, no?  SUSPICIOUS.

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: Oh England.  Your product has both sugar and aspartame.  Shame shame.

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: Looks nothing like ginger ale, right?

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer looked nothing like ginger ale – instead of the familiar golden color, this looked like Fresca….a cloudy white.  Smelled a whole lot like ginger.  Time for a sip…

Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: Not quite fiery.

WOW SWEET.  Holy moly.  That’s what sugar plus aspartame gives you – a whole lotta SWEET on the tongue.  This Idris Fiery Ginger Beer was heavy on ginger taste and heavy on sweet taste.  Imagine Ginger Ale, but make it REALLY sweet and then really up the stinging curl of ginger to the flavor…that’s what this was like.

But did it go as far to call it fiery? NO.  Sure the ginger taste was really strong…but it didn’t overwhelm me.  I figured if this product was going to be so sweet, it might as well KILL me with ginger.  This did not.  This was just an exaggerated form of ginger ale.  Not for me, in the future.  Pass.

Alrighty, folks – I’m off to cram my gullet with hundreds of snacks.  Happy Father’s Day and Happy Sunday!

Thoughts? Hit me in the comments below or hit me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or on my Facebook Page.

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy