Ranga, an alcoholic ginger beer, began appearing on shelves last year.
Aucklander Bevan Wait created the product, with friend Chris Durney, and the brand name, a term used to describe people with ginger hair, sparked complaints from customers for its connotations about redheads.
They stuck with the name despite pressureto change it. Serving directions on the box advise that the ginger beer is "best served cold over ice with a dash of lime and a few of your ginger-haired friends".
I took their advice on the lime and the ice. It was a refreshing drop but I don't understand the concept.
Non-alcoholic ginger beer tastes as good as or better than this alcoholic alternative.
Here's the problem from my point of view: if I want beer I'll have a beer and not a ginger beer. If I want a ginger beer I will have a ginger beer and not a beer. Confused? I know I am by this product.
A box of six costs $15 to $20, depending on specials.
