Old Jamaica Ginger Beer - 330ml

In Britain, ginger beer sits in its own corner of the fizzy drinks fridge, a bit apart from the colas and lemonades. Old Jamaica is the one people reach for when they want it to actually taste of ginger, the sort of drink that turns up next to a Caribbean takeaway, a barbecue or a sandwich eaten on a wall.

Nobody searches for it by accident. You type the name because you remember that particular warmth at the back of the throat, and because every other ginger drink has been a slightly different shape of the same memory.

It comes in a 330ml can, a single serving that keeps happily in the cupboard until you want one. Give it a good while in the fridge first, as cold as you can get it. Some drink it straight from the can, some pour it over ice, and plenty use it as a mixer when friends come round.

It goes very well with the rest of a British shop: a bag of proper crisps, a pork pie, a spicy patty. Buy a few. The fridge has a way of emptying when you are not looking.