This Easy Homemade Ginger Beer Recipe is healthy, spicy, fizzy and delicious! Perfect for holiday cocktails like Moscow Mule and Dark ‘n’ Stormy!
I know, it sounds like ginger beer is very hard to make from scratch. I’m here to prove you that it’s not! You are now less than 20 minutes away from delicious and healthy homemade ginger beer that you can use later for cocktails like Moscow Mule or Dark ‘n’ Stormy.
Ginger beer is often confused with ginger ale. However, the difference is enormous. While ginger beer is produced by the natural fermentation, ginger ale is artificially carbonated and sweetened. And no, there isn’t any beer in either of them!
Since ginger beer is a fermented drink, it is naturally carbonated and sweetened. Naturally fermented beverages like homemade ginger beer are packed with nutrients, probiotics and enzymes, as opposed to highly processed and overly sweetened commercial sodas.
Why Make Homemade Ginger Beer?
Well, the main incentive for me to make anything from scratch is that I’m in control of the ingredients. I don’t want any additives, preservatives and sweeteners in my ginger beer.
So what is in my ginger beer recipe? Obviously, the main ingredient is fresh ginger root. In addition, I use lemon juice, brewer’s yeast and small amounts of brown sugar to activate and feed the yeast. I sweeten the ginger beer with more sugar or honey to taste once it’s fermented.
I like that I can regulate the sweetness, since most of the processed drinks taste overly sweet to me.
The taste of this homemade ginger beer is a bit more rich and intense. I like the authentic spiciness but if you don’t, you can always dissolve it with water.
This ginger beer is naturally fizzy because of the gas released during the fermentation process, so you’ll hear a nice “plop” sound and see a wisp of steam when you open a flip top (swing top) bottle with your freshly brewed ginger beer. It’s priceless!
Ginger beer is a great base for holiday cocktails like Moscow Mule and Dark ‘n’ Stormy. Believe me, this homemade ginger beer tastes amazing in cocktails and is much cheaper than store-bought.
Just think how impressive your cocktail party will be with cocktails based on your own ginger beer made from scratch! I bet your guests will love it!
Health Benefits of Homemade Ginger Beer
Naturally fermented ginger beer gives your immune system a boost which it needs so bad at this time of the year. Moreover, some of the health benefits the homemade ginger beer offers are:
- has anti-inflammatory properties;
- relieves nausea (perfect against morning sickness if you are pregnant!);
- helps fight infection;
- soothes respiratory symptoms;
- helps lower cholesterol levels;
- improves digestion;
- helps prevent colon cancer;
- reduces muscle pain and soreness, as well as menstrual pain;
- has anti-diabetic properties;
- protects against Alzheimer’s disease;
- lowers the risk of heart disease.
Fermented food is great against common cold or flu. It contains probiotics that help you fight viruses and get well sooner. Make sure to include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sourdough bread, pickles, tempeh, miso, kimchi and sauerkraut in your diet to prevent getting sick and/or fight viruses.
How to Make Homemade Ginger Beer
When it comes to making your own ginger beer, you have two options:
– use naturally fermented ginger bug;
– use brewer’s yeast.
Since my husband is a brewer, it was not a question for me which way to choose. Besides, it’s easier and faster.
To start with, prepare your ingredients: ginger root, lemons, sugar and brewer’s yeast. Where to get it if you don’t have a husband interested in brewing? Thanks to Amazon, you can order it online, so it shouldn’t be a problem!
Grate ginger, squeeze juice out of lemons, prepare four 16 oz (0.5 l) flip top bottles (or equivalent) and a fennel.
In a pot bring grated ginger and 2 cups of water (0.5 l) to a boil. Add brown sugar (or molasses for the darker color), a pinch of salt and cook until the sugar is dissolved, for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the liquid through a sieve covered with a few layers of cheesecloth and squeeze well into a bowl.
Add the rest of the water, lemon juice and yeast. Stir to dissolve and pour into bottles using a funnel.
Let it ferment under room temperature for 48 hours, then transfer to the fridge to stop the fermentation process. Add extra sweetener of your choice before serving (honey, sugar, molasses or agave syrup). Enjoy!
Cook’s Tips
- If you can’t find brewer’s yeast in your local store, order it online.
- Use ginger beer for Moscow Mule, Dark’n’ Stormy or enjoy on its own.
- Serve ginger beer chilled with a few ice cubes.
- I found that 1 tablespoon of honey per bottle (16 oz) tastes the best. Make sure to dissolve your sweetener in a small amount of ginger beer before pouring it back into the bottle. Close the bottle and shake well. Don’t open directly after shaking!
Recipe Variations
- You can make ginger beer with naturally fermented ginger bug.
- Use any sweetener of your choice: any kind of sugar, agave juice, honey, maple syrup or molasses.
What are some other cocktails you can incorporate ginger beer in? Any ideas?
If you try this ginger beer recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a star rating! I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment.
Homemade Ginger Beer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
- 2 quarts or 2 l water divided
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar or molasses
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup or 120 ml lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon brewer's yeast
- sweetener of your choice to taste see notes
Instructions
- In a pot bring grated ginger and 2 cups of water (0.5 l) to a boil. Add brown sugar (or molasses for the darker color), a pinch of salt and cook until the sugar is dissolved, for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the liquid through a sieve covered with a few layers of cheesecloth and squeeze well into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the water (about 6 cups), lemon juice and brewer's yeast. Stir to dissolve and pour into four 16 oz (0.5 l) flip top bottles (or equivalent) using a funnel.
- Let it ferment under room temperature for 48 hours, then transfer to the fridge to stop the fermentation process. Add extra sweetener of your choice before serving (see notes). Enjoy!
Notes
Cook’s Tips
- If you can’t find brewer's yeast in your local store, order it online.
- Use ginger beer for Moscow Mule, Dark’n’ Stormy or enjoy on its own.
- Serve ginger beer chilled with a few ice cubes.
- I found that 1 tablespoon of honey per bottle (16 oz) tastes the best. Make sure to dissolve your sweetener in a small amount of ginger beer before pouring it back into the bottle. Close the bottle and shake well. Don't open directly after shaking!
Recipe Variations
- You can make ginger beer with naturally fermented ginger bug.
- Use any sweetener of your choice: any kind of sugar, agave juice, honey, maple syrup or molasses.
I have just made my first batch of ginger beer. I couldn’t get the yeast to dissolve before putting it in the bottles. Will this interfere with the fermenting process? At the moment it’s lying in the bottom of the 4 bottles!
Hi! Awesome recipe! I followed your recipe to make the ginger bug so if I were to use that instead of the brewer’s yeast for this ginger beer recipe, how much of the bug would I need? Thanks!! 🙂
Hey Vy, glad you want to try my ginger beer recipe! You’ll need 1/2 cup or 125 ml ginger bug for the amount of water used in the recipe. Other ingredients stay the same )except for brewer’s yeast). Hope that helps! Let me know how it turned out 🙂
Yay! Thanks so much Elena! I look forward to trying this recipe! 🙂
How long will this last in the refrigerator?
Hi Barbara, good question! It will last for up to a month. Maybe longer, but I haven’t tested it yet. Hope it helps!
Thanks so much, Elena, for all your info about Ginger Beer and your great recipe. I just made some (really easy!) and will try it soon.
Question: I totally forgot and left my bottled batch in room temperature for over the 48 hours (11 extra). Is it still safe to drink?
Hi Ginny, I’m so glad it was useful! I think it should be safe to drink. However, it might be too fizzy, so be careful when opening bottles. Hope that helps! Please let me know how the ginger beer turned out 😉
I sure will, Elena!
Thanks so much❣️
Hi Elena!
Well, my first batch was a bit bland for my taste and without filters/sparkle. For my second batch, which I just made this week, I increased the amount of grated ginger and the amount of brewers yeast. By double for both. The taste was wonderful, just how I like it, a bit spicy with a bite. However, it was still flat, with no fizz/sparkle. Now I am thinking that the brewers yeast I’m using, “Anthony’s Goods” must not be the correct brewer’s yeast or something, although it’s called “brewers yeast powder.”
Do you have a recommendation for the correct brewers yeast to use? (Unfortunately your link from the words “brewers yeast” doesn’t seem to be working.)
I love making it at home and I am hoping my third batch will be spicy and sparkly! Thanks so much for introducing me to this world of homemade ginger beer!
Hi Ginny, Thank you for sharing your experience! I personally haven’t used “Anthony’s Goods”. I corrected the links in the post to the brewer’s yeast I used (Munton’s Ale Yeast), so maybe you could try it for your next batch. Another idea would be to use Champagne yeast, which I think would make the ginger beer even fizzier. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the great recipe & instructions,
Would it make any difference to make the same amount and use one bigger glass container rather than 4 smaller containers?
Hi Kath, you are very welcome! Sure, you can do that! Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
I’ve got to try this ginger beer recipe because it looks amazing! I have been buying ginger beer in the store and never thought of making it at home – I have to now! 🙂
It is easier to make homemade ginger beer than people think! I hope you give it a try Helena 🙂
Have just made this ginger beer. We’re heading into the beautiful autumn season here is Australia and its Easter in a few days so we will be sharing this ginger beer with our family when they visit for the weekend.
Thanks for sharing your ideas and recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing it Denise! Hope your family will enjoy the ginger beer or/and ginger beer-based cocktails 😉 Cheers from Hamburg!
I love making a lot of things from scratch and often do. I’ve never thought about making ginger beer before. I think I need to change that asap, esp now that you’ve broken it down so helpfully!
Thank you so much Amanda! I love making things from scratch too! Glad you found it helpful 🙂
We LOVE Moscow Mules at our house … and I have honestly never thought of making my own ginger beer. Thank you so much for sharing – can’t wait to try!! <3
Thank you Sara! We are huge fans of Moscow Mules as well! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
YUM! I love using Ginger Beer in Moscow Mules. I had no idea you could make your own. I am definitely going to have to try it out!
Thank you Jillian! I’m happy you found the recipe useful! Hope you enjoy it!
My hubs would love this recipe! This sounds delicious. Definitely saving!
Thank you Christine! My husband loved it! Also because of the mug 🙂
I have a friend who loves ginger beer and always makes the most amazing Moscow Mule. This would actually make a wonderful gift for him!
It certainly would! Thank you Jessica!
I am certainly going to give this a try. I was going to do a ginger flavored kombucha sometime in the future, but I didn’t know I could use brewers yeast to make ginger beer.
Thank you Lois! Ginger flavored kombucha sounds really good! I should give it a try!
Thanks for spelling out the difference between ginger ale and ginger beer. This seems to be a really good drink and so healthy. Love it! Your pictures are awesome too!
Thank you so much Saima! The difference between ginger ale and ginger beer is huge but they are often mixed up. Glad you found my clarifications helpful!
Thanks for a wonderful post.Loved ginger ale but had no idea about ginger beer.Will definitely order brewers yeast now.
So glad you enjoyed the post Prasanna! Thank you!
Well, it certainly sounds like a miracle cure — but some of the natural ingredients do wonders for our bodies and overall health. Very interesting. I’ll have to try to make some. I drink ginger tea.
Thank you so much Marisa!
That’s such an informalative post about ginger ale. I like how you compared ginger beer with ale too and who knew that it has so many health benefits!
Thank you Helene! Surprising, isn’t it?
Wow – it doesn’t even seem difficult! You inspired me, I might actually try this. It looks and sounds yummy! I love that little gif with the vapours coming out. Oh, and the mug is just awesome!!
You will love it, I’m sure! Let me know if you try to make it 🙂
Oh wow! I had no idea you could make this at home! Yummy!
I was thinking the same 🙂 It came out to be super easy though!