Ginger Beer - Recipes To Sip All Summer Long

After the ginger water we sipped at the start of the year just after the holiday season, it's time to go for something more refreshing like the famous Ginger Beer. Gourmet and very easy to prepare at home, it is packed with benefits for health and, in particular for the digestive system. So, here's why and how to make your own express ginger beer with and without fermentation + some tips to take the classic recipe a step further!

Ginger Beer or ginger beer, what is it and why do you make one?

Probiotic drinks, like the kefir recipe, fermented kombucha tea, and now ginger beer, are gaining more and more attention. Obtained by natural fermentation of fruits or teas, these potions are excellent for our intestinal flora. In addition to facilitating digestion and regulating transit, these super drinks act directly on the immune system, making them ideal allies to preserve yours during this time of the coronavirus pandemic.

What is ginger beer?

Contrary to what its name suggests, ginger beer, whether homemade or sold in stores, is a beer that does not contain alcohol. This is why it is important to point out that beer and ginger ale are two absolutely different drinks. While beer is prepared without any cooking and tastes much more pronounced than soda, the latter requires the prior concoction of a ginger syrup, therefore cooking. Generally, ginger beer was first brewed by the English during the 18th century. They were crazy about it, which led to the creation of several breweries in the country.

Why prepare yourself one?

Dry, fresh or candied, ginger is believed to have beneficial effects on the digestive system. It relieves stomach aches, nausea, and its effectiveness against migraines has also been proven. Consuming ginger regularly not only allows you to lose weight but also relieve some of your stomach-related problems, as well as readjusting the intestinal balance. Another interesting fact to note is that ginger, especially the powdered ginger, is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that will help you get rid of the impurities held in your body. In addition, it is well known to have great health benefits in the prevention of certain types of cancer (colon cancer and ovarian cancer).

Homemade ginger beer - the two main techniques

To prepare a real homemade ginger beer at home, there are generally two techniques to test: with “ginger beer plant” grains or with “ginger bug” cultivation. The first includes the use of grains, similar to those of rice, which are neither cereals nor vegetable seeds. In fact, it is a symbiosis of good bacteria and yeast. The ginger beer plant is therefore reminiscent of the grains used for the preparation of kefir, except that they are smaller. It has a specific microflora that ferments the culture of ginger, with the addition of sugar. As for the so-called ginger bug culture, it is normally made with ginger tubers and baker's yeast (or natural sourdough made from sugar and ginger roots). Here is our complete recipe for making your homemade ginger beer with your very own ginger bug. It's easy !

Make ginger beer with your own ginger bug

Ingredient for the ginger bug:

• 900 ml of water
• 50 g. brown sugar
• 50 g. white sugar
• 1 C. granulated baker's yeast
• 15 g. fresh grated ginger tubers
• 1 C. tablespoon of zest
• 1 C. lemon juice (yellow or green)

Start by removing the skin from the ginger tubers using a grapefruit spoon. Grate the rhizome or cut it into thin strips. You can also crush it in a mortar. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the prepared ginger. Remove from heat and let steep for half an hour. Once the preparation is lukewarm, add the other ingredients and mix. Cover with an airy cloth held in place by an elastic band and let macerate at room temperature for 24 hours. Filter the preparation and transfer it to plastic bottles that you do not completely fill. If you choose glass bottles, be aware that they may explode under pressure. Place in the fridge and let fermentation continue for a few more hours. Move to the refrigerator to stop fermentation.

Ingredients for beer:

• ginger bug
• 1 cup of lukewarm water
• 1 C. sugar
• grated ginger

To prepare your homemade beer, take the ginger bug out of the fridge and reconstitute it in a jar, pouring half of the remaining residue into the colander. Add 1 cup of lukewarm water, 1 tbsp. sugar and grated ginger. Let the drink ferment in a cool place for 2 days and send to the refrigerator to stop the fermentation. Serve and eat chilled. Good tasting !

Ginger beer express without fermentation

Here, we removed the yeast and opted for a variant without fermentation by pouring a few drops of sparkling water. Here are the ingredients to get:

• 300 ml of mineral water
• 100 g of fresh ginger
• 100 g muscovado / cane / powder sugar
• 1 lime / lime
• 1 l of homemade lemonade / sparkling water

Preparation:

Start by peeling and grating the fresh ginger. Then put it in the blender with the lemon juice and 300 ml of mineral water. Blend and filter for a preparation without ginger residue. Put the filtered juice back in the blender with the sugar and mix again. Taste and add sugar or honey, if necessary. However, please note that it should remain fairly toned. Transfer to a jar or glass bottle and let sit in the fridge for a few hours. Serve the beer cold and lengthened with sparkling water or homemade lemonade. Finish by adding ice cubes, if desired.

Ideas for going further

As you are probably aware, there are several cocktail recipes using ginger beer. Examples that are most often thought of are the Moscow Mule made with vodka, Dark & Stormy made with rum and the Red Hot Chili Peppers made with tequila. To make your beer even tastier, there's nothing like pairing it with a classic and efficient Moscow Mule. Just mix in a copper mug 60 ml of vodka, 20 ml of orange juice, a little ginger beer and voila! Let the aperitif hour begin!