I really only have one requirement for ginger beer. I have to feel it.

To wit: "...the ginger beer has to sting, burn, and fire up the back of your throat. You have to feel it in your nose and down your gullet."

I found such a ginger beer in Boston -- made by Goya -- and we used it in all our Black Gosling Dark and Stormys. It was spicy, opaque perfection. Once we moved out here and couldn't find hide nor hair of Goya, I quested for the perfect ginger beer. Nothing served. Not Bundaberg, not Blenheim, not anything you can possibly name. Believe me. I've tried them. ALL of them.

In Andronico's British food section, I finally found a ginger beer made by Belvoir, and it was good. It burned my nose and tingled my throat, and I was so happy with that sought-after sensation that I ignored the slight tinge of chlorine in the taste that became decidedly pronounced the more I drank.

When I met Tim Warilow of Fever-Tree to sample his newest flavors, I pestered him about ginger beer. Fever-Tree, I argued, was the ideal company to make my favorite type of ginger beer. (Because it's all about me, right?) Tim just smiled and talked up the merits of their ginger ale. (And, as I've noted before, he ain't just whistling dixie on that one. Fever-Tree makes a killer ginger ale.)

However, a year later, Fever-Tree is now making ginger beer. I got two precious sample bottles in the mail and chilled them both immediately. One I drank as soon as it was cold, but the other is in safekeeping for another month.

In order to best appreciate it, I sipped it neat and not as a mixer. I've come to realize that the best mixers are the ones that can be fully enjoyed without alcohol or other things tarting it up. Fever-Tree's ginger beer is perfection. With each luscious swallow, I feel it trace a satisfyingly fiery path up my nose and down my throat.

And the flavor? Well, it was just ginger. I'm not denigrating the flavor with my "just," there, I'm elevating it. That's the flavor, "just ginger," which is as it should be. There was no chlorine aftertaste, no overt sweetness detracting from what ended up being pure ginger in liquid form.

Fever-Tree's ginger beer mixes two kinds of ginger: hot Nigerian ginger and fresh green Ecuadorian ginger. Just like all their other products, Fever-Tree's ginger beer is all natural, which explains the slightly cloudy appearance. For me, that cloudy, opaque look is key when layering up that most perfect of New England summer sips, the Dark and Stormy.

Oh, right -- guess what that reserved sample bottle is for? That's right. As soon as I'm allowed, post-delivery, that cold little bottle is going onto my deck and into my first decent Dark and Stormy in years.

I am an absolute freak for ginger. Anytime you see me, I will have one or two different ginger candies on hand and love trying out new types of candies. I personally love the taste, and find that it helps if I am feeling motion sickness on public transportation or in a car. Ginger is used in Chinese medicine and is recognized for multiple health benefits including increased circulation and help with digestive problems.

But even if ginger didn't make me feel better, I just like the taste and flavor.

There are a lot of types of ginger candies available in Bay Area stores, and I have tried quite a few of them. Below are some of the most popular types, but I would love to hear if there are any that you like which I have missed -- leave your notes in the comments. As you'll see, I don't love them all. To me, a great ginger candy has a very strong ginger flavor and little else. Texture is important, and I eschew candies that are too soft or don't last very long.

MY FAVORITES

Chimes Ginger Chews
Where to find: Cost Plus World Market

I first tried Chimes Ginger Chews from Powell's Sweet Shoppe. They come individually wrapped in a lovely little tin that is perfect for carrying in a purse. The chews are on the hard side in texture -- kind of like a taffy. The flavor is strong and pure. My suggestion is to find the tin if you can, and then purchase the more affordable bags of chews from Cost Plus to refill it. The chews come in plain flavor, peanut butter flavor, and peppermint flavor. I am addicted to the plain, but let me know if you've tried any of the others.

Plain Crystallized Ginger
Where to find: Ginger People, Reed's, Rainbow Grocery, various bulk sections

Plain crystallized ginger is easy to find, and satisfying in flavor. It's a solid piece of ginger that usually has a sugar coating. I look for the ginger that is as hard as possible, as I like to chew on it. I have tried packaged crystallized ginger in the past (from Reed's and Ginger People) and have found it to be too soft. I now purchase organic crystallized ginger from Rainbow Grocery's bulk section (in the back refrigerated bulk area) because it's fresh, strong, and hard in texture.

OTHER CANDIES I'VE TRIED

GoNaturally Ginger Organic Hard Candy
Where to find: Sweet Dish on Chestnut Street, San Francisco

I appreciate that these are hard candies, but the ginger flavor is not strong enough, and there is an off flavor that I can't identify. If I didn't read the package saying that the flavor is ginger, I wouldn't have known from the taste.

Ginger People Ginger Chews
Where to find: Trader Joe's

These are probably the most popular type of ginger candy. They're widely available at Trader Joe's and many people I know eat them. I find them to be too chewy and sticky in texture, but the flavor is nice.

Ginger People Gin Gins Boost
Where to find: Sweet Dish on Chestnut Street, San Francisco

Another candy from Ginger People, this is a small, lozenge-like candy that has a milky look to it. The ginger flavor was there, but not as strong as what I find in my favorites. I might buy them again if in a pinch, but they didn't leave much of an impression on me.

What have I missed? Are there any great ginger candies that I must try?