GemmerKat Ginger Beer takes South Africans back to their cultural roots
Since the 18th century, ginger beer has been a popular drink among people all over the world.
The way ginger beer is brewed has evolved and adapted to modern times.
While some ginger beers on the market have strayed from their origin, GemmerKat Craft Ginger Beer has continued to focus on what makes it so deliciously simple.
Ginger beer – the delicious, brewed, fermented beverage that we all know and love – first appeared around the mid-1700s in England.
It was initially made as a fermented alcoholic beverage using ginger, sugar, and water. Thanks to the availability of strong, earthenware bottles, it was also possible to export ginger beer worldwide.
Made simply from fresh ginger, sugar, water, lemon juice, and yeast, it is very similar to ginger ale but with a more pronounced spicy “ginger” flavour and less carbonation.
Ginger beer has clearly seen major growth as a “near beer” – an alternative for drinkers who are not into the bitterness of traditional beer flavours.
Take, for example, GemmerKat Craft Ginger Beer, with less than 40% sugar than regular soft drinks and real ginger powder. It is taking South Africans back to their cultural roots, one healthy sip at a time.
GemmerKat Ginger Beer is fast becoming SA’s favourite non-alcoholic ginger beer made the traditional way like your grandparents used to.
Owned by the Natural Drinks company, their aim has always been to produce beverages to an exceedingly high standard while ensuring that it remains affordable.
Using traditional production methods and hand-picked ingredients, they produce immune-boosting, naturally fermented non-alcoholic drinks the way our grandparents used to for the mass market.
Fans of the brand love the healthy alternative to regular soft drinks, with numerous health benefits for those living with gut problems, diabetes, or combating colds and flu. Even expectant moms swear by its nausea-busting effects.
When owner and managing director of Natural Drinks Ian Nieuwoudt turned years of wine-making experience into perfecting non-alcoholic naturally carbonated drinks, he hoped for something truly special and got it.
After seven years in business, the company has grown its footprint across the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, North-West, Mpumalanga, and, more recently, KwaZulu-Natal.
Nieuwoudt said there is a much bigger appetite for healthier beverages produced locally, and Natural Drinks is continuing a deep tradition of creating nostalgic moments for South Africans at an affordable price, one bottle at a time.
Knowing the business’s potential to grow into more regions, Nieuwoudt’s brother, André, joined the company in 2020.
“It is incredible to see how Natural Drinks’ fan base is growing organically without any marketing. Ian’s focus for the company has always been to produce truly South African products of high quality, realising that South Africans are more mindful and deliberate about health and nutrition – looking for more than just a thirst quencher,” said André.
Natural Drinks currently produce two flavours, ginger, and pineapple, in three sizes: 500ml, 1 litre, and 2 litre. This summer, they plan to launch an exciting new flavour, which will be a game changer for the company to expand its offering.
You can find the beverages at one of SA’s largest retailers like Checkers and SPAR, and even Kaap Agri allows their products to be accessible across South Africa and Namibia.