Perhaps you’ve had Roots and Leaves (teehee), the mid-strength hopped ginger beer from Fortitude. Well, for GABS 2023, Fortitude made Spicy Wombat, adding lime and chilli to the ginger for a spicy whack, and you can expect a step up from the original.
A step up in sweetness: it flows in upfront with a syrupy hit like when you mix a Buderim Ginger Refresher and ignore the recommendation on the label, instead mixing it to the strength you REALLY want it.
A step up in heat: apparently Spicy Wombat includes 70 powdered chilli varieties(!), which in my opinion is just far more kinds of chilli than need to exist. But it’s not 70 times as strong as one kind of chilli; the addition of chilli (and lime) here brings a warmth in the throat rather than a serious burn. Be aware, though, that the warmth will keep growing as you keep drinking.
A step up in booze: it’s six percent ABV. Don’t drink this the same as you would the mid-strength version. If you do, the wombat will mess you up.
Best drunk on ice with a wedge of lime. And a stick for fending off randy wombats.
Mick Wüst
Published June 16, 2023 2023-06-16 00:00:00
