Somehow, all of the sudden these beverages bring to mind The curious case of Benjamin Button? Perhaps it is the retro bottles and their extraordinary history which make me feel so sentimental.
Fentimans was originally established in the 1900’s, once again curiously one of my favorite eras. Victorian charms when recipes were simple, pure and dreams of America so large.
Elixirs, Aroms and tonics made of roots and natural extracts, rarely seen today are truly the bewitching botanical apothecary healers of an era gone by. I am simply not sure if it is sentiment or fruity sediments which measure the mark of Fentimans goodness.
During the holiday season, I had only slightly “tied one on†as the Brittish say for a teeny tiny hangover! I remembered researching that and burdock and dandelion could do wonders for your ever livin, a bit too much the night before liver. Breezing through the store I saw a confidant, cool, houndstooth-three piece suited up Fentimans cola winking at me. Being so befuddled I thought I just love a foreign accent! Upon closer observation, I noticed there was an array of naturally gorgeous and botanically brewed mixers too.
I was feeling fairly mixed up already, and then I remembered the saying “Hair of the dog that bit you†Realizing, I could not possible get more woozy, I decided to try to make out whether this was a Benjamin Button or Daniel Day Lewis.
I decided to save Fentimans “Curiousity Cola†and Sunny Yellow “Victorian Lemonade†for another day and go with the Dandelion and Burdock. The spiced enchantment of this naturally fizzy beverage was so alluring, with its unique flavor profile and pretty aubergine cool coloring. This apocryphal elixer is said to be heaven sent as in inspiration to Saint Thomas Aquinas, he intuitively knew which herbs and plants to mix as an aid to clear thinking for his meditation.
So long Ben and Daniel, Im on the mend. Delicious it was and is! It certainly gave me a pert alertness and got me on the way to work.
Crafted in the North of England. Crisp, refreshing, and are botanically brewed, they leave a natural and tasty bit of unfiltered sediment on the bottom on each bottle. A very “adult†soft drink! Also fun to mix with spirits for unique summer cocktails!
In 1900 Thomas Fentiman was approached by a fellow tradesman for a loan – a deal was struck, as in those times an Englishman’s word was his bond. All that was required was a handshake and some security – in this case a recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer. The loan was never repaid, and so Thomas Fentiman became the owner of a unique and rather original recipe for success. Fentiman’s soda’s are available in 6 varieties: Seville Orange Jigger, Victorian Lemonade, Ginger Beer, Curiosity Cola, Shandy, a traditonal English non-alcoholic mix of lemonade and beer (the alcohol is brewed away in production to the 0.5% level), and Dandelion and Burdock, which is a vintage recipe made with all natural ingredients and finished with Aniseed.
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I am seeing a resurgence in the popularity of an 18th century beverage ginger beer. The original version of ginger beer was actually an alcoholic beverage originating in England today really only available by the home brewer..Today’s commercial brands are classified as soft drinks sodas containing less than a half percent of alcohol. Fentiman’s of the UK is a great example of a company that has been brewing ginger beer since the 1900s.