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Alcohol and flying can be an interesting combination.

Throw in a few sleeping pills and you can end up with a crossover between that scene from Bridesmaids and the Danish golfer who ended up being charged with various crimes.

Far be it from me to tell you not to enjoy a toot or three during your flight, but regular travellers will tell you that ginger ale is the way to go.

Take it from the folks at Travel & Leisure, where it’s heralded as “the unsung hero of the sky”:

…ginger ale is the best drink to have while flying as it is less likely to taste dull. Taste buds change on a plane due to dry air and cabin pressure.

Sweetness and saltiness are affected the most… However, ginger ale will taste less sweet in the air, and instead be much sharper, retaining some of its taste.

Taste is one thing, but ginger ale is also functional.

As nutritionist Lauren Grosskopf points out, ginger helps ease stomach upset with nervous flyer and has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce swelling.

Image: Depositphotos

The root is also used medicinally to fend off the flu and common cold, as well as aid in digestion.

Of course, if you’re drinking ginger ale, you don’t go grabbing any old brand from the flight attendant.

Subtly sweetened with natural cane sugar and spiced with real ginger root extract, Fitch & Leedes’ Ginger Ale has a clean, smooth finish.

Like all of their mixers, it’s delicately carbonated, superbly balanced, and infused with the world’s finest flavours.

Before you ask, yes, the Ginger Ale does go very, very well with whiskey:

Stop it.

We said we were sticking to non-alcoholic drinks on flights. Back to the matter at hand:

Drinking ginger ale also helps travelers avoid a common problem with other bubbly soft drinks like Diet Coke, which requires extra time for the bubbles to dissipate due to the high altitude.

Diet Coke is actually one of the worst drinks to order from a flight attendant, since it slows them down during drink service.

Think carefully before mentioning this to the stranger sitting next to you on your long-haul flight, though.

No need to make an enemy when you’re trapped in economy class with no legroom for the next 12 hours.

[source:travelleisure]