There are few drinks as nice and refreshing on a hot day like old fashioned home-brewed ginger beer.
Ginger beer is different from ginger ale as ginger ale refers to a commercial, bottled, ginger flavored soda, where ginger beer is normally referred to as a home brewed ginger drink. In some instances you can make ginger beer as a healthy, probiotic, fermented drink (see recipe) but it can also be made very quickly and enjoyed all summer long without the hassles of fermentation.
I remember this recipe since childhood (which is a very long time ago:-)), and it was always a favorite during summer holidays when we visited my grand parents on the farm.
What you’ll need to make this simple, yet delicious drink: (yields about one gallon)
1 Piece of ginger about 2 inches long
12 cups of water
3 cups of sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon Tartaric acid
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons of raisins
Method:
- Rinse ginger under running water, cut into smaller pieces and add to a large pot with water and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and boil for about an hour until all sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for about an hour.
- Mix instant yeast, tartaric acid, cream of tartar and raisins together.
- Use some of the cooled syrup and mix thoroughly.
- Add the yeast mixture back to the cooled syrup and stir well.
- Cover with a lid and allow to sit for at least 24 hours.
- By this time the raisins will float on top.
- Remove the raisins and the ginger pieces.
- Decant into glass bottles with tight fitting lids. Leave at least 2 inches of head space.
- Add back 2 raisins into each bottle before sealing tight.
- Refrigerate and use as necessary.