A lot of drinkers enjoy ginger ale because of the beverage's strong ginger spice spice, but others drink it just to enjoy a mild soda, and this carbonated beverage actually comes in two styles for each kind of drinker. You may be more familiar with one than the other, but both are good for drinking straight or mixing into cocktails.

Golden ginger ale is perhaps the oldest kind of ginger ale, invented by apothecary Thomas Joseph Cantrell in the 1850s. This drink is marked by its sweet taste and strong ginger flavor, and though it is less widespread today, it has a strong following and is sold by brands like Vernors, Blenheim, A-Treat, Bull's Head, and Sussex.

Dry-style ginger ale, invented by Canada Dry founder John J. McLaughlin in 1904, and is paler, less sweet, and has a less intense ginger flavor. Most ginger ale we drink today is dry-style ginger, and McLaughlin marketed his product as an alcohol substitute and mixer for bootleg liquor during Prohibition, skyrocketing its popularity.