Description
Spicy-sweet homemade ginger ale! This naturally fermented recipe creates a bubbly, refreshing drink that’s far superior to store-bought versions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large piece (about 4–6 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 teaspoon champagne yeast (or brewer’s yeast, but champagne yeast provides a cleaner flavor)
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (helps with carbonation)
Instructions
- Combine Ginger and Sugar: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped ginger and sugar.
- Muddle (Optional, but Recommended): Using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon, gently crush the ginger and sugar together.
- Add Water and Simmer: Add 4 cups of water to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer and Infuse: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- Strain the Syrup: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool slightly (about 15-20 minutes). Place a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (if you have it; otherwise, the sieve alone is fine) over a heat-proof bowl or jar. Pour the ginger syrup through the sieve, pressing down on the ginger solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the ginger pulp. You should have about 3-4 cups of ginger syrup.
- Cool Completely: Let the ginger syrup cool completely to room temperature.
- Sanitize Your Equipment: Thoroughly wash and sanitize a 2-liter plastic bottle (or multiple smaller bottles) with hot, soapy water. Rinse well.
- Combine Syrup, Lemon Juice, and Water: In a large pitcher or bowl, combine the cooled ginger syrup, lemon juice, and the remaining 4 cups of water. Stir well to combine.
- Activate the Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the champagne yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm (not hot!) water. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, until it starts to foam slightly.
- Add Yeast to the Mixture: Pour the activated yeast into the ginger ale mixture and stir gently to combine.
- Add Cream of Tartar (Optional): If using cream of tartar, add it to the mixture and stir well.
- Bottle the Ginger Ale: Carefully pour the ginger ale mixture into the sanitized plastic bottle(s), leaving about 1-2 inches of headspace at the top.
- First Fermentation (Room Temperature): Tightly cap the bottle(s) and leave them at room temperature (ideally around 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 12-48 hours.
- Monitor the Bottles: Check the bottles frequently (at least every 12 hours) to gauge the pressure.
- Burp the Bottles (Release Pressure): Carefully open the bottle(s) slightly to release some of the carbon dioxide. Recap the bottle(s) tightly.
- Second Fermentation (Refrigeration): Once the ginger ale has reached your desired level of carbonation, transfer the bottle(s) to the refrigerator.
- Chill Thoroughly: Let the ginger ale chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
Notes
- Important: Monitor the bottles carefully during fermentation to prevent them from exploding. Burp the bottles as needed to release excess pressure.
- Use fresh ginger for the best flavor.
- Sanitize your equipment thoroughly to prevent unwanted bacteria growth.
- The fermentation time will vary depending on the temperature and the activity of your yeast.
- This ginger ale contains a very small amount of alcohol (less than 0.5% ABV) due to natural fermentation.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes