The Charlotte 500, Lap 18: Blenheim Ginger Ale

Realizing that 500 is a much bigger number than it first appeared, I determined that if ever I wanted to finish this list of 500 things to do in Charlotte, I had better start including some things that may not be completely Charlotte-focused, such as road trips (coming soon) and a few little things, like soda. So, lap 18 (only 472 to go - what have I gotten myself into?), is simply a 12 ounce bottle of spicy hot ginger ale - Blenheim Ginger Ale, to be precise, which, if you look hard enough, can be found in the Charlotte area.

Blenheim ranks with Glendale, Wisconsin's Sprecher Ginger Ale (note: Sprecher also makes the greatest cream soda in the world) as my favorite real ginger ale, which I define as a ginger ale that actually has the spicy-hotness of ginger root, rather than the more common watered-down variety, such as that produced by Canada Dry. A friend told me about Blenheim, and after five months I finally found it at a dirty old gas station in Mooresville on my way home from work. Blenheim is manufactured in the town of Hamer in northeast South Carolina. Apparently, Blenheim Ginger Ale has gained quite a following; if you want to read more about it, click here. If you like ginger ale, and if you plan on visiting us, give me advance warning and I'll make sure we stock the refrigerator.