Ginger Beer

I had a hankering for Ginger Beer so I made a batch up. 

Ginger is an incredible little root that packs a powerful punch.

Ginger is known for settling an upset stomach and has even helped some with the nausea caused by motion sickness.  You can easily make a cup of ginger tea by slicing up some ginger root and dropping in to boiling water to allow it to steep for a bit.  Add some honey for an extra shot of immune boost and while sipping on your ginger tea, inhale some of the steam to support those breathing passages. Look at all you've accomplished with just one cup of ginger tea. (peel root by scraping with a spoon). 

Ginger also contains strong antioxidants to aid the immune system which is why it's such a great addition to elderberry syrup.  I always add a bit extra to each bath because I like the tangy zing that it gives. 

Although ginger is not for weight loss, it may help prevent overeating, improve energy levels, as well as help stop fat generation in the body.  Ginger is great for supporting the joints and blood circulation so I add ginger essential oil to my joint support roller bottle.  I don't know about you, but my joints need all the extra support they can get.

Have you ever overindulged? Well then you may want to have some ginger close at hand to support the digestion of that overindulgence. We also use peppermint and digize when we overindulge. Don't have a root hanging around? No worries, grab your bottle of ginger essential oil and you're all set. 

Recipe #2 w/Ginger Bug

Ingredients: Ginger bug, ginger, sugar, lemon, water

Start by making a Ginger Bug (add 2 cups water to jar and add 1 Tablespoon sugar and 1 Tablespoon grated ginger. Stir well. Feed bug daily with 1 Tablespoon sugar and ginger. Once bug starts to fizz, it is ready to use. It took me about 5 days for fizz to begin)

Add 1/2 cup of ginger bug to 2 quarts of water, 8 tablespoons of sugar, juice of 1 lemon and 2 Tablespoons of ginger. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Cover with breathable cloth and allow to ferment for 7-10 days. Test for taste. Once taste is to your liking, bottle in pop top containers for 2-3 days, burping 1-2 times per day to relieve pressure. Once desired fizz has been reached, store in the refrigerator to slow down fermentation. Since fermentation will continue, it is important to burp the pop top daily to avoid exploding (yes this is a thing. I was finding glass all over the house for months, luckily, we weren’t home when it exploded, or we could have been injured)

Note: Ginger bug can be used to make a probiotic drink (link will be added once the probiotic drink has been uploaded

 Recipe #1 w/Ginger Syrup

Ingredients: Ginger Syrup, 1/8 tsp active dry yeast or Brewer's yeast, 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, 7 cups filtered waterGinger Syrup: combine 1 cup organic sugar, 1/2 cup water and 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger to saucepan.  Heat ingredients enough to melt the sugar.  Turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for about an hour.  Strain syrup to remove the ginger.  There ya go! You've just made Ginger Syrup.

 Ginger Beer: in a 2 qt container add 1/8 tsp yeast, followed by ginger syrup and 3 Tbsp lemon juice.  Shake ingredients to combine and dissolve the yeast.  Store in shady area away from direct sunlight for 2-3 days releasing pressure once or twice a day.  If you're using a glass container, the pressure release is very important as it could build enough pressure to explode and nobody wants that! 

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Fermentation will continue so be sure to release the pressure on occasion.

If you're impatient and want to drink your ginger beer immediately simply combine the ginger syrup with seltzer water or club soda. I've tried this method and it didn't have quite the same taste so I prefer the fermentation process.   I also added some blueberries to a portion of the batch to see how it comes out.  I'll keep y'all posted on how it turns out.

 Original Publish Date: March 1, 2018

Updated: July 29, 2024