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Home » How To » Homemade Ginger Beer

Homemade Ginger Beer

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Ginger beer is the key ingredient to Moscow Mules, Mexican Mules, and is straight up refreshingly delicious on its own! Check out my step-by-step guide, plus all the tips and tricks, for creating this spicy beverage at home!
Homemade ginger beer is the key ingredient to Moscow Mules, Mexican Mules, and is straight up refreshingly delicious on its own! Check out my step-by-step guide, plus all the tips and tricks, for creating this spicy beverage at home!

Homemade ginger beer served over ice in a mason jar with lime slices and garnished with striped paper straws.

What is Ginger Beer?

Ginger beer is a fermented non-alcoholic beverage made simply from fresh ginger, sugar, water, lemon juice, and yeast. It is very similar to ginger ale, but with a more pronounced  spicy “ginger” flavor, less carbonation, and my version is decidedly less sweet.

It has a cloudy, yellowish color and while fairly easy to make, it does require 2-3 days of fermentation, so budget accordingly.

Homemade ginger beer is the key ingredient in the very popular Moscow Mule cocktail and in my kicked up version of that classic, the Mexican Mule. It also makes a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage served over ice with a twist of lemon or lime.

Step by step guide to make Homemade Ginger Beer. Gather ingredients (1), Combine water, sugars and ginger in a saucepan (2), heat and dissolve sugars and steep (3), strain 4).

Let’s make homemade ginger beer

  1. Gather ingredients for homemade ginger beer including ginger, lemons, brown sugar, white sugar, and yeast.
  2. Combine 1 qt of water, sugars, minced ginger and a pinch of salt in a saucepan.
  3. Bring just to a boil and stir until sugars are dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and remaining quart of water. Let stand for 2-3 hours. Place in refrigerator and cool to 70 degrees F.
  4. Use a fine mesh straining and strain into a clean bowl.
Step by step guide to make Homemade Ginger Beer. Stir in yeast (5), pour into bottles (6), let ferment for 2-3 days (7), release pressure while it ferments and store in refrigerator (8).
  1. Stir in the active dry yeast.
  2. Use a funnel and pour into a 2 liter bottle or 2 – 1 liter bottles, leaving an inch or two of room at the top. Screw the cap on tight and let stand at room temperature.
  3. Over the course of the next 2-3 days, occasionally loosen the cap VERY SLOWLY to release the pressure. 
  4. Once the ginger beer has fermented, release the pressure once again and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Tips for success

  • Choose ginger that has smooth, taut skin that isn’t wrinkled or moldy.
  • Don’t boil or simmer the ginger/water mixture for very long. You just want to cook it until the sugars are dissolved. Encourage this by whisking the mixture well.
  • Emptied and rinsed plastic soda bottles are a great way to store your ginger beer.
  • When you strain the ginger, press on the solids to really squeeze out all of that ginger flavor.
  • Store the strained ginger beer in plastic bottles at a cool room temperature out of direct sunlight. Be sure to leave space at the top so they don’t bubble over when you release the pressure.
  • Release the pressure from the ginger beer about 4 times per day as they ferment. Loosen the top VERY VERY SLOWLY as the yeast will cause it to bubble and foam. Unscrew the tops as slow as possible and listen for the air being released.
  • Store the ginger beer in the refrigerator which will impede the fermentation process. You still need to be careful as you open the bottle. The ginger beer will keep for about a week.

Two bottles of Homemade Ginger Beer with foamy tops.

Ginger 101

Here are a few interesting facts about our knobby friend.

  • Ginger is a natural remedy for nausea and indigestion, while promoting good digestive health. It also is a natural anti-inflamatory and packed full of antioxidants.
  • Choose ginger that has smooth, unwrinkled skin. It should be free of mold and smell of fresh and bright when you snap it. Store your ginger in the refrigerator or the freezer.
  • Don’t want a giant piece when you’re at the market? Simply break off what you need. It’s an unspoken rule of thumb and totally acceptable.
  • Ginger can be peeled easily with a small paring knife or the peel can be scraped off with the edge of a spoon. 
  • Ginger (or ginger root) is actually not a root at all, but a rhizome, the subterranean main stem of a plant.

More delicious ways to get your ginger fix…

Obviously ginger is the key ingredient to making homemade ginger beer, but here are some more ginger forward recipes that are sure to pique your appetite.

  • Mexican Mule
  • Moscow Mule
  • Carrot Ginger Soup
  • Thai Salad in a Jar
  • Thai-Style Coconut Chicken Curry
  • Thai Turkey Burgers with Spicy Carrot Sauce
  • Moscow Mule Push-Pops
Two Moscow Mules served in rainbow mugs with lime slices with a cocktail shaker, striped straws, ginger beer, and vodka scattered around.
4 from 49 votes
Homemade ginger beer served over ice in a mason jar with lime slices and garnished with striped paper straws.
Print
Homemade Ginger Beer
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Fermenting Time
2 d
Total Time
6 hrs 10 mins
 

Ginger beer is the key ingredient to Moscow Mules, Mexican Mules, and is straight up refreshingly delicious on its own! Check out my step-by-step guide, plus all the tips and tricks, for creating this spicy beverage at home!

Course: Cocktail/Drink
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ginger beer
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 127 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…
Ingredients
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 8 oz fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan combine 1 qt water, sugars, ginger, and a pinch of salt.

  2. Bring to a boil and stir until sugars are dissolved. Remove from heat and pour in remaining 1 qt of water and lemon juice.

  3. Let stand, covered, at room for 2-3 hours. Place in refrigerator and cool to 70 degrees.

  4. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain and stir in yeast.

  5. Use a funnel to pour into a 2 liter bottle or into 2 – 1 liter bottles. Make sure you leave at least 2 inches of room at the top.

  6. Leave at room temperature for 2-3 days, loosening the cap occasionally (very slowly and carefully so it doesn’t spray all over) to release the pressure.

  7. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

Recipe yields 2 quarts.

  • Choose ginger that has smooth, taut skin that isn’t wrinkled or moldy.
  • Don’t boil or simmer the ginger/water mixture for very long. You just want to cook it until the sugars are dissolved. Encourage this by whisking the mixture well.
  • Emptied and rinsed plastic soda bottles are a great way to store your ginger beer.
  • When you strain the ginger, press on the solids to really squeeze out all of that ginger flavor.
  • Store the strained ginger beer in plastic bottles at a cool room temperature out of direct sunlight. Be sure to leave space at the top so they don’t bubble over when you release the pressure.
  • Release the pressure from the ginger beer about 4 times per day as they ferment. Loosen the top VERY VERY SLOWLY as the yeast will cause it to bubble and foam. Unscrew the tops as slow as possible and listen for the air being released.
  • Store the ginger beer in the refrigerator which will impede the fermentation process. You still need to be careful as you open the bottle. The ginger beer will keep for about a week.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Ginger Beer
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127
% Daily Value*
Sodium 19mg1%
Potassium 151mg4%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Sugar 26g29%
Vitamin C 5.4mg7%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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