In this post I will teach you how to make ginger beer the old fashioned way, no soda machine or brewery required. This drink is nice and refreshing on a warm day; it’s also one of the main ingredients in the popular Moscow Mule cocktail. It’s easy, really, and surprisingly fizzy. I’ve outlined the recipe and process below, including a how-to video and photo tutorial.
Ginger, with its zippy and refreshing taste, is listed among the world’s oldest spices. As far back as 500 BC, this native plant of China and India was used for medicine, food, and flavoring. For most of the Western world, ginger was used to spice up drinks. Up until the Victorian era, beer was the drink of choice in England, especially herbal and spiced low-alcohol “small” beers such as ginger beer.
I would be willing to bet that most us were introduced to the flavor of Zingiber officinale through ginger ale. I don’t know about you, but the zingy soda pop was my mom’s go-to cure for tummy aches. This non-alcoholic ginger ale made its American debut in 1866 when a Detroit, Michigan pharmacist named James Vernor installed a soda fountain in his drugstore. Vernor began playing around with ginger extracts, and in 1870 perfected his recipe, which included mellowing the syrup for four years in wooden casks. It’s not surprising that a pharmacist would chose ginger, as the rhizome was (and still is) known as a stomach soother. In fact, Vernor’s ads often touted “Mothers tell their children to ask for Vernor’s Ginger Ale because it’s wholesome and healthful.” Vernor’s Ginger Ale remains just as popular today.
Ginger ale and ginger beer are both basically the same thing. It’s easy and inexpensive to make old-fashioned ginger beer at home, and you get more of a gingery taste than you do from the store-bought stuff. A bit of fermentation is involved, which produces a very slight alcohol content (not noticeable, but important to point out for those sensitive to alcohol). Some manufacturers ferment the mixture longer and make other adjustments to increase the alcohol content, but for our purposes this ginger beer is more akin to ginger ale. If you’re concerned, make the ginger syrup as noted below, but skip the fermentation process and mix it with seltzer water instead to produce a fermentation-free beverage.
Once you master the process of creating ginger beer, you’ll be hooked. It’s fun to ferment. Enjoy!
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Homemade Ginger Beer
Ingredients
Ginger Syrup Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Ginger Beer Ingredients
- 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast or brewer's yeast
- Ginger syrup (ingredients above)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 7 cups filtered water
NOTES
Instructions
- Peel a chunk of the ginger with the tip of a teaspoon—the papery skin scrapes right off—and grate it, using the fine side of your grater. Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to steep for an hour.
- Strain the mixture (discard the ginger solids) and allow to cool.
- You’ve now made ginger syrup (or gingerette, as the Brits call it). Stop right here if you’re looking for a short-cut to ginger ale and you don’t want to mess around with the fermentation process. Pour three or four tablespoons (more or less depending upon how gingery you like it) of your syrup over ice and add 8 ounces of seltzer water or club soda. Bottle the rest of the syrup and store it in the refrigerator.
- For the full ginger beer experience, place a funnel in the top of the bottle. Sprinkle the yeast in, followed by the syrup, lemon juice, and water.
- Put the lid on the bottle and shake the concoction until the yeast is dissolved. Stow it on a shady shelf or in your pantry out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days, or until fizz is achieved. At this point it is ready to drink, and must be stored in the refrigerator to prevent further fermentation. Don't forget about the bottle, or the pressure will build up so much that it may explode!As with any yeast-powered beverage, the fermentation process continues unless you prevent it from happening. Refrigerating will slow the process down but not stop it completely, that's why it’s best to treat ginger beer as a perishable beverage. Consume within 1-2 weeks.
- Serve over ice and savor the spicy taste of your very own homemade ginger beer!
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
&n
It worked! I am so excited. Ginger beer is so expensive, but this is easy and cheap…and makes me feel proud of myself for making it at home. Thank you for sharing! This one is going into my permanent recipe book!
I tried this recipe out. The fermention seemed to proceed resl fast at first, looked well carbonated after only 12-18 hours. But I still let it ferment at room temperature (around 78F) for the 2-3 days per recipe instructions. Now it is flat!!!
What a beautiful and thoroughly full bodied, tasty drink. I’m from Tasmania, Australia and I grew up drinking my mum’s ginger beer over 40 years ago now. Your recipe although a quick version is gorgeous. My mother would love it too I’m totally sure. Thankyou for sharing this delightful recipe. My whole family love this! It literally tastes the same as my mum’s. Mmm-mmm…
Thanks, I’ll try this for sure.
Glad you shared this recipe. Originally from the US Virgin Islands, I grew up drinking ginger beer, maubi and sea moss beverages. Instead of yeast, I recall my elders used grains of rice that basically covered the base of the container. I enjoy making ginger beer and will give the syrup and the beer with yeast a go. Thank you for sharing!
I have to say this is my favorite recipe of the last 8 months! I brag about it to my family and all of my friends on Facebook and in person! I use organic cane sugar instead of white, and I use 2 parts lemon to 1 part Key Lime juice for a unique flavor. I love making both styles- fermented and not. I put the syrup in the Sodastream for instant ginger yummies and add Key Lime juice, so I can enjoy it while the other batch is fermenting. I cannot say enough good things about this recipe, thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Do you put the syrup in the water and then carbonate the sodastream bottle, or do you carbonate the water first, then put the syrup in.
I made two versions of your ginger beer. Thanks for a great start.
I tweaked the second version because I wanted to drink ginger beer right away, and I wanted a more “Caribbean” taste.
Ginger Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1/3lb sliced fresh ginger
2 cloves
1/8 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)
Ginger Beer Ingredients
Ginger syrup (above)
2 freshly squeezed lemons
2 freshly squeezed limes
1 dash mixed essence (optional)
7 cups strong seltzer water
1. Boil the sugar and 1 1/2 cup water. Stir until sugar is mixed.
2. Once cooled, blend the syrup with all the other syrup ingredients in the blender.
3. Strain the mixture. Squeeze out all the liquid from the pulp.
4. Pour the spiced syrup into a bottle along with the lime and lemon juices and the dash of mixed essence.
5. Slowly combine the syrup and the seltzer in a separate container or bottle the syrup and add it to individual cups of drink as needed or depending on the drinker’s preference.
Serve cold.
That’s exactly how I do it. Very simple.
Hi Alex,
What kind of mixed essence (essence of what) did you use in this recipe? Thanks!
What if brown cane sugar instead of white granulated?
Thank you.
That’s the ONLY way I make it and it is super yummy!
I used raw unfiltered honey fro a local farmer. Very sweet, I will use less honey next time but it’s real mellow sweetness.
Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve got into this whole ginger beer thing now. I was thinking I had to buy a soda stream to make ginger ale but making natural ginger beer is so much better!!!
I’ve done it a few times now and am getting a nice ginger taste as a add more ginger to find the place I like it to be, but am wondering how to get the burning bite to my ginger beer. Is there anyone with a suggestion to help head me in the right direction.
Timothy,
Take a look at my recipe. I’d suggest you increase the amount of ginger; I used 1/3 pound of sliced ginger. Or, add the additional seasonings to get the ‘bite’ you want. My version is cool going down- you’ll taste ginger, lemon/lime, and sweet at first, then you really taste the ginger and feel the heat as an after taste/sensation. Your lips will tingle. You won’t be able to stop drinking this bc it’s sweet yet spicy, hot yet cool, sweet yet tangy.
I make one gallon at a time and use 1 habanero pepper while only removing the stem. I blend the ginger and pepper together in a blendtech blender and follow the normal recipe procedures. You won’t get much pepper taste if any at all. The heat from the pepper added with the heat and flavor of the ginger makes for the hottest drinkable but not too hot ginger beer I’ve ever had. I’ve made this many times over the last 5 years and it’s never disappointed!
What kind of yeast do you prefer? I know the bread yeast is different than beer yeast, and there are even different kinds of beer yeast. I wonder what has been working for you best so far and if anyone has tried to experiment with different kinds of yeast!
Hi Persian Guy. There are actually MANY different kinds of yeast with different properties. Bread yeast is not a great choice for this as it is most suited to making lots of CO2 gas quickly to “inflate” the bread. Beer yeast is better as it makes a bit of alcohol and also a nice fine-bubbled gas and works a bit slower. The very best of all, though, is if you have a specialty brewers shop nearby to ask for champagne yeast. THAT’S the stuff! Ferments a bit slower, ferments to dry (if you don’t stop it by chilling it) and makes gorgeous tongue-tingling little bubbles. And the very best of the bunch that I have found in Anchor yeast (brand name) Vin 13 (product name). This actually adds an extra fruity flavor to your brew too!
Bread yeast works, but it can have an unpleasant flavor. Champagne yeast is much better. I use 1/8 teaspoon for 2 liters.
I have only ever used bread yeast, and have never noticed an unpleasant (or bitter) flavour. My ginger beer is ready in 24 hours (in summer), and drunk within another 24 hours. Even the kids love it. Maybe the unpleasant flavour develops with longer brewing?
Ive made this twice and both times it has been flat, Can anyone help?
did you make sure the base was well cooled before you put everything in the bottle? I’ve been getting a really good fizz and unlike soda there is fizz all the way through the bottle because it continues to slowly ferment.
With a flip-top bottle, as shown in this picture, it will not explode. It is designed to release gas but not let any air in as would be the case if you kept opening it. I have fermented plenty of beverages over many years and have never had trouble with flip-top bottles.
I’ve had them explode and fling glass and kombucha all over my kitchen a couple times. That was only after they got too warm (on top of the fridge) or were forgotten for an extra week… Be careful!
So, I tried this recipe out last week. I must admit, it didn’t turn out quite as well as I had hoped. The taste was great, but there was a strong yeasty smell to the drink; one that was a bit too pungent for my taste.
I’m trying a second batch, but this time I am using a ale brewing yeast that I hope will yeald a better brew.
Curious if you had any luck with reducing the yeasty smell?
Try champagne yeast.
this is not real ginger beer, sorry, but real ginger beer does not use yeast per say. to make real ginger beer you place a desert spoon of ginger and sugar in a jar with 1 1/2 cups of wate rin it. you then feed the plant that amount of ginger and sugar every day for 7 days. You have the car covered with a mesh cloth so that the natural yeast in the air can get into the mixture. after 7 days you drain the liquid out through a cloth, keeping half the plant for the next batch. add 4 litres of water, 2 cups of sugar and 2 lemon to the mix that you drained out, bottle (puttins a sultana in each bottle to stop it exploding) and that is real ginger beer.
how much water is required? Josie.
Yeah, that old school method was used in the good old days before dry yeast was readily and cheaply available as it is these days. The risk is you’ll get “natural yeasts” which are random wild yeasts which can produce off-flavours in your drink. Better to stick with standard store bought yeast or brewer’s or champagne yeast is best (go to a home brew store).
The sultanas was another old school method of adding yeast to the ginger beer (as dried grapes have yeast naturally on their surface). There is no logical explanation as to why it would stop bottles exploding.
i agree. There are many variations to ginger bug. I use a sliced jalapeno and tumeric in mine. I love the bite from the Jalapeno. Tumeric seems to ferment rapidly. It is also good for you. The whole concept is good for you. I have made many and unlike this other dude that says the wild yeasts cause off flavors, well he obviously hasn’t messed with making a wild ferment. Yeasts are necessary if you want to make a carboy of wine or beer or bread, if you want to avoid the time it takes to ferment from wild yeasts..but the wait it worth it…I make sauerkraut also…very good…we have jujube trees and man, they make some fine wine and apple butter..also vinegar..there is no limit to the food stuffs you can make and the way the world is turning..well everyone should be able to produce there own food and ferments, vinegars.etc..etc..The only way to get a real ginger ale/beer is by doing the method you describe. Check out a book called Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz..Lotta good info there..ethiopian tej’ recipe in there. It is simply honey, water and wild yeasts..pretty good stuff..You can vary anything by a little manipulation..the whole concept of fermentation is the cycle of life and death…its fascinating…
i loved it
surely the water needs to be warm to dissolve the yeast. I tried it without warming the water and the yeast wouldn’t dissolve even when left in the airing cupboard.
When beer brewing, you put the yeast in last and it floats on the top. It will eventually wake up if the liquid is at room temperature, dissolve , float to the bottom and eat the sugars. it doesn’t look the same as bread yeast when you add it to warm liquid and it blooms. It does bubble and produce gas in the same way, but since its contained, the gas will go back into the liquid to create the fizz. The problem with heating the liquid is you might kill the yeast and it wont do its thing to make it fizz. I am making this ginger beer now (much easier and quicker than regular beer), hopefully my brewers yeast is still alive (been in the fridge for a while …).
Thank you.
I just made this and it turned out great! I am just wondering if it will work the same if I divide it into several smaller bottles to sit for 2/3 days. Do you think anything would need to be altered? Thanks!
You wouldn’t need to alter the recipe, just make as directed in a 2 liter bottle and when its finished brewing, carefully add it to smaller bottles. But it might be more work to make sure they don’t explode. You would need to split the yeast equally between all the bottles, you ever tried to slit 1/8 tsp of yeast? lol If its not equal one may have more carbonation and explode the bottle.
I meant to write, “if you did try to make the recipe in smaller bottles, you would need to split the yeast equally”.
Great recipe! Done this 3 times already, now making a bulk! Thanks for sharing with us!
made my first batch, great but the carbonation process seems way too fast : i had to “burp” my bottles every 20 minutes and the ale was quite fizzy after just one night.