Ginger Beer
Despite the name, ginger beer is virtually alcohol-free, and made by fermenting fresh ginger and sugar. The result is a super aromatic, refreshing and slightly fizzy drink with tons of health benefits!
Ginger is proven to help reduce inflammation, relieve nausea, promote digestion, and even help in the prevention of some diseases. More interestingly, it also increases brain levels of the most important mood-boosting neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine!
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 3h + 48h - 72h
Yield: 6 servings
Special equipment: A large cooking pot; a fine mesh strainer; large jar; glass bottles with lid for storage.
Instructions
7 steps1
Add the cream of tartar, lemon juice, fresh grated ginger, and half of the water to a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
2
Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the sugar, and stir until fully dissolved.
3
Turn off the heat and add the rest of the cold water to the pot. You want to wait for the temperature to cool to around 75°F, or 23°C.
4
Stir in the yeast, cover the pot with a kitchen towel, and place it in a room temperature spot away from direct sunlight for 2-3 hours.
5
Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the liquid into a jar. Pour the mixture into clean bottles, making sure to leave some room at the top.
6
Place the bottles in a dark, warm room for 48-72 hours. Taste after 2 days to determine if you’re happy with the level of fermentation or if it needs to sit longer.
7
After the ginger beer has finished culturing, store it in the refrigerator to chill. Ginger beer keeps for up to 10 days.
Recipe Notes
Additional information:
- While a lot of people make a simple syrup mixing ginger, sugar and water, and then combine the mixture with soda water to make ginger beer, letting it ferment for a while produces a much more healthful drink that is less sugary and full of good bacteria.
- There are different ways to get the fermentation started. One way is to use a “ginger starter”, which is basically ginger fermented in sugar water and later brewed into a batch of ginger beer. While great, this method can take up to 4 weeks. If you don’t have that time, we recommend using some form of yeast to accelerate the process.
- Like a lot of ferments, it’s a good idea to loosen the caps of the bottles once a day to “burp” the bottles and release some of the pressure. Be gentle, you don’t need to open the bottles all the way.
