Ginger ale and I go way back—my nickname as a child was even “Jen-ger Ale”! So, combining my longstanding affinity for this particular beverage with my general love for all things flavored and novel means that Canada Dry’s new Strawberry Fruit Splash Ginger Ale was a no-brainer for me to pick up when I saw it peeking from the refrigerator of the corner store that somehow always gets the new releases before anywhere else in my neighborhood.

You may be familiar with the Fruit Splash line from its initial Cherry flavor, and this new Strawberry offering makes a strong impression. It smells potently like the strawberry flavor it advertises—I thought I caught a whiff of kiwi as well, but perhaps I’m just conditioned to associate strawberry with kiwi because they’re so commonly paired with each other. Strawberry is the only fruit mentioned on the ingredients label, so I probably was just smelling things that weren’t there. In any case, I was excited about the prospect of some fruity sweetness to offset ginger ale’s typical fizziness and spice, and that’s exactly what I got.

In fact, this soda was so sweet and mild upon first sip that I wasn’t sure I would even have identified it as ginger ale until the aftertaste, where that familiar bite kicked in. It struck me as more fruity than gingery, but that’s not to say that the drink was overly sweet. While the mellowness did take me by surprise, especially compared to other flavored ginger ales I’ve had, I quite enjoyed it. The ginger flavor was still present, just in a slightly different way—the juiciness of the strawberry flavor meant that there wasn’t that spiky acidity that can sometimes prevent me from finishing my glass.

There was a slight tartness as well, which makes sense given that the Fruit Splash line advertises that they’re “made with a splash of real juice”. Sure, the pale pinkish-gold color of the ginger ale didn’t scream “fruit juice”, but the taste sure did. And while the ginger ale fizzed up quite nicely when I first poured myself a glass, it quickly simmered down, so my drinking experience wasn’t overly bubbly. Overall, Strawberry Fruit Splash went down quite smoothly— crisp, refreshing, and very drinkable!

I think this flavor is a winner. Ginger ale has a reputation as a good mixer, and it certainly mixes well with strawberry flavoring, leading to a well-balanced drink that goes down easy. And best of all—unlike many of the unique flavors I’m used to loving and losing, this one is a permanent addition to Canada Dry’s lineup, so if you enjoy it as I did, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to drink your fill. If you’re in the market for some ginger ale that contains sugar and spice and all things nice, Strawberry Fruit Splash will indeed make a splash!

Purchased Price: $2.44
Size: 20 fl oz bottles
Purchased at: A local convenience store
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 80 milligrams of sodium, 63 grams of carbohydrates, 62 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.