If you've ever added Coca-Cola to your rib recipe (like in these three-ingredient crockpot ribs), ginger ale works in a very similar way, but it actually has even more of an advantage due to an enzyme called zingibain. Found in raw ginger, zingibain is excellent at breaking down collagen, which helps tenderize meat. This, along with the citric acid in the soda, works to soften any tough muscle fibers, leading to a fall-off-the bone texture.
It can take hours to cook ribs low and slow enough to achieve tenderness that makes the meat just fall off the bone. If you try to hurry the process, you might end up with undercooked ribs. In that scenario, a structural protein in the ribs called collagen would not get hot enough to dissolve, resulting in tough and gristly meat.