B
ruce Cost, 71, has found his niche as an entrepreneur with
his fizzy, unfiltered ginger ale, a brew of 100 percent fresh
ginger, pure cane sugar, and a touch of citric acid. Sediment
drifts to the bottom so the label helpfully explains, "Separation is
natural. Shake gently." Manufactured and taste-tested in Brooklyn,
it's available nationwide in bottles and cans in bodegas, gourmet
markets, restaurants, and major food outlets. Internationally, it's
distributed to Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden,
Canada, Israel, and the Middle East.
Bruce Cost was the chef at a four-star Asian restaurant in San Francisco and
had sold thousands of dumplings in the Midwest. In founding Bruce Cost
Ginger Ale, however, he's found his calling as a specialty food producer.
BY JULIE BESONEN
During the dozen or
so years Cost spent in
Chicago, more than three
million glasses of his ginger
ale were sold to patrons
at several restaurants,
far outstripping sales of
conventional soft drinks.
PHOTOS: BRUCE COST
Bruce Cost, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale
A Thirst for Variety
producer profile
88 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com
