Stone's Ginger Joe

The legend of Ginger Joe is inspired by ‘Ginger’ Joseph Stone, moustachioed London greengrocer and illustrious founder of the noble House of Stone. Legend recalls Joe was fanatical about the tantalising taste of the ginger root (lat. Zingiber Officinale) and that his first ‘dip in the ginge’ circa 1740 produced a tipple that literally singed the tips of his ‘tache – an image now immortalised on every bottle of this new and stirringly vigorous alcoholic ginger brew. Whilst dedicated Gingeristas invariably savour the refreshing feist of Ginger Joe, one point of ‘fashion’ still divides them – whether ’tis… (as a happier Hamlet may have put it) …better to sip or swallow? Some insist that Ginger Joe goes down best accessorised by food. For others, only a swift, unhindered swig of the gingerable brew will do. In the interests of fair play, we suggest you try the following tonsular techniques before swinging either way: savour every sip of Ginger Joe with a hearty pub lunch or hot curry and make ice-toppled Ginger Joe the first swallow of your summer drinks party. Sip or swallow as the fancy takes you – a free-and-easy policy with which we feistily agree. To truly taste the tantalising tang and tingle of Ginger Joe you may care to take up the following ‘tache-twisting taste tips: • Topple in a tall tumbler over towers of ice • Liberate your luscious libation with lemon or lime • Splash on a dash of spirit to add spring and sparkle • Stir in strawberries, stud with mint and stun fellow drinkers