Ginger is a popular flavoring used in everything from soda pop to “diet” sugar-free drinks, but most of the time it’s not made from real ginger.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try a delicious and healthy organic drink that is not only made from real ginger, but it’s also made from a rare type of ginger that I could taste the difference in right away — Peruvian ginger, which is grown at high altitudes and offers significant benefits for digestion, mood enhancement and more.
The drink, called ‘Ginsation,’ is made from organic ingredients and was started by two sisters with the goal of sharing the benefits of real ginger with the world.
Overall, this is my favorite new drink I have tried this entire year, both for the taste and the many health benefits.
Ginsation Ginger Drink Ingredients: Organic Ginger and More
The first thing that impressed me about Ginsation was its ingredients.
Ginsation offers four flavors — Citrus Mist (lemon juice, wildflower honey, organic ginger juice), Cherry Delight (wildflower honey, organic apple cider vinegar, organic ginger juice, lemon juice, natural flavors, and ginger extract), Sunshine Burst (tangerine orange juice, organic ginger juice, wildflower honey, lemon juice, natural flavors, ginger extract), and Fresh Zest (organic ginger juice, Vitamin C, ginger extract, elderflower extract).
Next, the taste.
I drank all four flavors incredibly quickly, noticing how each one contained real organic ginger juice, something that is a rarity nowadays.
These drinks tasted similarly nourishing and healing to the fresh ginger tea my roommate once made on the stove — I knew right away that I was doing something great for my body.
Caloriewise, the Fresh Zest flavor has five calories in comparison with 60, 50, and 60, respectively, for the other three flavors.
There is no refined sugar in any of these drinks, and three of them contain wildflower honey as the principle sweetener.
‘Ginsational Flavors:’ How It All Started
Based in California, Ginsation was founded by sisters Sandra Reid and Sheylon Haywood.
It all began with Sheylon’s famous homemade ginger drinks, combined with Sandra’s penchant for delicious flavors.
“A little backstory, Sandy and I are sisters, and when Sandy got pregnant she suffered from a lot of digestive symptoms like nausea,” Haywood said in a Zoom interview.
“She spoke with her doctor, and her doctor said to get ginger.”
Store bought “ginger flavored” drinks only left Sandy feeling worse, and that’s when Sheylon decided to flip the script.
On a visit to California, she made her sister drinks made from Organic Peruvian ginger fruit, a major upgrade over store bought ginger, which often comes from China and doesn’t have the same health benefits as the Peruvian variety.
Haywood, a bartender, said she added different flavors to help introduce her to the powerful healing plant.
“Ginger has the soothing, calming effect,” she said.
Her bartending background factored in as she concocted the unique, vibrant and rich flavors in her kitchen.
“As a bartender I understand, people want a feeling,” she said.
Sandy loved the homemade drinks, and her sister knew right away.
“I’ll never forget her face when she first had it, just seeing her face like, I could see…” Haywood said.
“Yes, it worked,” Reid said.
“I didn’t have the nausea and digestion issues anymore,” Reid added.
“There are also benefits to using something like this on a daily basis, not only does it taste great but it’s also low calorie and low sugar, there’s no bloating or side effects you may get with other ginger products that have ingredients you don’t need.”
Upon trying Ginsation’s flavors I can confirm, once again, that these drinks are an experience unto themselves, something that will transport you to a different time and place while drinking them.
The Peruvian ginger adds a spicy kick, while the fruit juice and botanical extracts up the health benefits quotient.
Aside from the health benefits, Sheylon said that her and her sister love exploring new flavors to add to their drinks and share with customers.
“We’re just fun people,” she said. “We like fun things that are different, we had so many flavors that were amazing, we just had to narrow it down to four to start with…”
Sandy’s personal favorite is the Cherry Delight.
She loves the “authentic” flavor and health benefits of Ginsation’s ingredients.
“What you see is what you get,” Reid said. “It should taste like what’s in the bottle.
“I’m so big on that as a person, on being authentic and transparent.”
She added that the company has experienced steady growth since it started and that her and her sister are still learning as they go along.
“We don’t know what’s in store but we know that we’re growing and we’re expanding,” Haywood said. “We’re excited about it.
“I do all the live tastings, and I have the ability to meet so many people. The tastings at the gyms, we sell out.”
The drinks taste great whether drank out of the fridge cold, heated over a stove and taken like tea, or used as mixers, adding a fizzy kick to any alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage alike.
“We’re trying to change the narrative on what health looks like, what it tastes like, what it feels like,” Sandy said.
“It’s hard to find a beverage that you also get benefits from, but I believe we have mastered that in Ginsation.”
For more information, check out Ginsation on its Instagram, Facebook page, and website.
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